A beam of light
by Heytherebluesky
Summary: Hordes of wild Zetsus' attacked Konoha and destroyed everything. Neji has no way of escaping the hell he is in, and he is feeling too weak to even try. Help will come from the least expected person.
1. Chapter 1

**Background:** The story takes place at the beginning of the war against Madara. Before the troops of the Land of Fire could organize against him, he freed a plague. Hordes of white Zetsus, wild and bloodthirsty, razed everything. Fields and cities were destroyed in its path. Their relentless strength and huge number made it impossible to stop them. Their bodies were toxic, and they destroyed the vegetation, polluted the water and vitiated the air. This resulted in everyone having to leave their homes, and a humanitarian crisis broke out.

Food is scarce, and people have become hostile to ensure survival. Everybody is a possible enemy. The world is in chaos.

**Neji's POV**

Neji felt a piercing pain at the side of his body and stopped. He ducked behind a bush and looked around, searching for the best way to escape. He couldn't remain immobile for a long time. He was being chased.

_When the hordes of Zetsus invaded Konoha, he was quietly practicing with his team in the training field, as usual. No one saw them coming, because they simply emerged from the earth. They were fierce and hard to beat, and the worst part, they kept coming. He fought with all his strength, but after a long while he understood he couldn't do anything to stop them. At every second there were more and more. He tried to stay next to his team, but they had to separate in order to avoid the wild Zetsus that came running towards them, one after the other._

_Neji fought them until he run out of chakra, and then he just confront them with his physical strength. But at this point it was very clear that his only opportunity was to run. He looked around and didn't see his team anymore, but he saw other people running from the Zetsus, leaving Konoha. Even shinobis had stopped fighting them._

_Neji cursed, but turned around and accelerated towards the exit of the village. He tried to look for his family and team, but the picture was total chaos. Huge cracks opened in the streets, shaking the ground and collapsing houses. From them came more of those horrible creatures._

_Damn. If he had save a bit of Chakra, he could have use his Byakugan to find his uncle and cousins, and then his team. A cold hand with sharp nails gripped his leg, and Neji looked down. One of those disgusting things was pulling him down. He shook his leg hard and got loose. He started running again, thinking that he needed to find a hiding place._

_He left the village at high speed, avoiding the Zetsus that seem to come from every inch of ground. In the woods that surrounded Konoha, he could see people running in all directions, also trying to escape. Many of them didn't made it, and were torn into pieces by the beasts._

_Without ever stopping, he thought about his family. Hinata, little Hanabi, and his uncle. Have they been able to escape from all that? And what about his team? Tenten, Lee and Guy Sensei?_

_He only could think in turning back and search for them, but there was just no way to retreat. The Zestus kept coming. If he stopped running for just a second, they would catch him._

_After being chased for an hour, he was able to climb up a tree. The creatures could see him, but apparently they couldn't climb to get him. After stalking him for a very long time they finally went away. Neji saw them go, with their white bodies covered in the blood of those they had killed. He felt a chill running down his spine when he thought it might belong to someone he knew. He would definitely try to find them, but first, he would restore his chakra levels and hide until those monsters were out of sight._

_He got off the three only when the sun came up again. He wondered the area, and discovered that there were still Zetsus out there, moving in small groups. But there was not so many anymore. Neji supposed they had stopped coming from the ground, and that a good amount of them had been defeated. He was able to avoid ones that crossed his way using his Byakugan, and started heading to Konoha. _

_He had moved far from the village during his escape, so he had to go through large portions of land to return. While there was almost no Zetsus, the atmosphere felt polluted. Neji noted that from the deep cracks that divided the earth came a strange green moss. It had spread rapidly almost everywhere. He saw it stuck to the barks of the trees, and covering herbs and plants. It must be damaging the vegetation, because the air felt different. As rotten._

_When Neji arrived to Konoha, he found it uninhabited and empty. Everything was covered by that disgusting green thing, even the bodies of the dead. The air was almost impossible to breathe. After accepting that there was no one there, he resigned and left._

_The Zetsus attack had affected the whole region. The earth and the waters were contaminated, so very fast there was nothing left to eat or drink. Neji run into a few groups of people, but they were very hostile. He had to run away from all of them, because they would try to steal anything he had. Hunger was making everybody crazy. However, he had nothing they could steal, because he had had no time to get his things before leaving Konoha._

_He wondered for weeks, finding temporary refuges. Hunger was constant, and there was absolutely nothing to eat. The only relief came with the rains, when he could at least drink some water._

_He was heading to the next village, hoping it wouldn't be abandoned and rotten like the last one he had check, when he ran into a group of men. They had no distinctive clothing, so Neji couldn't tell where they were from. They recognized the Byakugan right away, and started asking him random questions. He could see them exchanging excited smiles._

_Neji had imagined this could happen. In a catastrophe like this one, it was sure that some people would be interested in the most powerful Dōjutsus. They surely wanted his eyes, and apparently didn't know that if they killed him to steal them, the Cursed Seal would get activated and destroy them. Neji wasn't going to tell them though. They attacked him, and he fought fiercely, taking down two of them. But there were four left yet, and he was weak from the lack of food. Once more, he couldn't do anything but to start running._

He heard them approaching to his hiding spot. They were good fighters, skilled enough to break a couple of Neji's ribs. In this conditions he wouldn't be able to defeated them. He stood up and started running again. He looked over his shoulder and saw a kunai flying directly to his face. Without stopping, he ducked to avoid it, but slipped in the moss and lost his balance. He crashed against the ground, and a second after, he felt strong hands grabbing his body.

The men took him and tied his wrists tightly behind his back. He was forced to walk in the direction of a huge mountain. At the base there was a dark cavern, which went deep into the rock.

Inside, he was taken to a tiny cell. His broken ribs hurt, so he couldn't do anything but to sit on the dirty floor and wait. A few minutes later, he was presented to a young man with round glasses that seemed like the boss. He was very happy his team had found a Hyuuga, and he approached to study Neji.

The man lick his lips at admiring his eyes. But then, he noticed he was still wearing his _Hitai-ate_. He frowned, and took a hand to Neji's forehead to take it off, along with his black ribbon. He saw the green mark over his skin and let out a loud curse. He apparently knew what his team didn't.

The man left and Neji heard him yelling to his men. After about an hour, he came back looking more calmed.

"Well," he said, opening the cell fence for two men to get him out of there. "Let's take a look at those eyes. I can't wait to learn it's secrets".

"If you kill me the Cursed Seal will destroy my eyes", Neji said seriously. "You will never have them".

The man simply laughed and waved a hand in the air. "I know. That's why we are not going to kill you. I can study them from their place in your face. It will hurt a little, but only to you, and I really don't care about that".

From that moment on, every day was an indescribable torture. Neji was attached to a cold metal table, and no matter how much he fought, he could not free himself from his bonds. That crazy man and his team spent hours over his face, trying to find out the secrets of the Byakugan. With sharp tools, they made several cuts on his eyelids and on the sides of his eyes, in order to analyze them better. The pain was unbearable, because they did not use any type of anesthesia. For months, they exposed his eyes to powerful lights, and placed drops in them that burned like fire. They carefully wrote down all the reactions they could notice. In the evenings, Neji was taken back to the cell, where he was fed only enough to keep him alive, with a disgusting paste that tasted horrible. At no time did they take care of the wounds they had cause on him, which gave him a feeling of constant fever. More than once he wished to die, to finally end that suffering.

He had no idea of how much time he had been in that place. Deep inside the mountain it was impossible to distinguish night from day, but even if they had been outdoor, Neji couldn't open his eyes. His eyelids simply hurted too much. Everyday they forced him with their tools to open them again, but he couldn't do it by his own. He had no strength at all because of the bad food, the lost of blood and the constant fever. He could only lie on the cell floor, shaking and sweating in the complete darkness, and wait for a miracle that came to take his life.

After a time that seemed like an eternity, he was finally took out of the cell and carried outside. He felt the sun over his cheeks, and the air moving his hair. It still smelled strange, but it was way better than the enclosure. Neji couldn't open his eyes yet, and his wrist were strongly tied, so he couldn't scape. They put him on a horse and he felt himself moving forward.

He had no idea of where they were taking him, but he didn't ask. During the whole trip he felt dizzy because of the fever, but the warm sun over the painful cuts on his eyes felt nice. They stopped after a long while and he was taken off the horse. He could hear people talking, and he tried to imagine in what kind of place they were. He hadn't seen any settlement with people before he was captured, only groups that wandered around, like he had done.

Next to him, Neji heard the voice of his captor, the man with round glasses.

"Are you interested in this one? He's a Hyuuga".

Neji felt steps getting closer, and sensed he was being studied, as someone was considering the question.

"He looks pretty bad…", the stranger said.

"Yes, we were going to kill him", the man with glasses answered. "But then we thought that someone would pay to have a Hyuuga, even in this state".

"Well, I guess I can probably find a buyer", the stranger answered. "I will have to cover his eyes to hide those cuts, it causes a bad impression. But yeah, I'll take him".

And just like that, Neji was sold. Sold like an animal, or a piece of furniture. Now he was in the hands of a slave trader. Apparently the world had kept collapsing after he was captured, if slavery was now possible. He was taken to a room where he could hear that there were other people, probably in his same situation. Well, not exactly the same. They could at least see. Many of them tried to free themselves fighting, like Neji would have done if he had had his strength and his eyes, but the trader and his man punished them brutally every time.

For days, he could only lie against the wall in a corner, feeling too sick to even stand. They had untied him and they were feeded once a day with another disgusting paste, though he had almost no strength to eat. He could feel his body getting weaker every day.

On one specific morning, the trader's helpers came to take them out of the room. Apparently they were going to be put up for sale. At noticing the deep cuts on Neji's face, a woman put a bandage over his eyes, securing it around his head. That was probably not good publicity for a product. After making them walk for half an hour, they made them climb a few steps and placed them over a tiny stage, one next to the other. Neji could hear the trader offering his commodity with loud exclamations. He wondered what kind of people could buy slaves, and felt a chill at thinking who could buy him.

Two hours went by, and he was feeling worse. The fever was stronger than ever, and his eyes hurt behind the bandage. He needed to sit up, but he would probably earned a whiplash if he did. He had heard the trader punishing other slaves like that.

Suddenly, a voice reached him over the trader's exclamations.

"How much for the Hyuuga?", it asked. Neji thought it sounded familiar, but his mind was too blurry because of the fever.

"35000 ryo", the trader answered

"35000?", the stranger repeated. "That's ridiculous, for anyone. And besides he's in a very bad shape. Don't you take care of your merchandise?"

Neji heard the trader laughing.

"He was like this when I got him. Besides, do you have any idea of how much money I'd spend if I had to heal all my slaves? C'mon kid, do you want him or not?".

The stranger seemed to be thinking, but finally he answered.

"30000", he said, but the trader clicked his tongue.

"No deal. This is a Hyuuga, boy. Surely someone willing to pay the full price will appear soon".

Neji felt devastated, as he heard how his life was being treated like a product.

"Fine, fine. I take him", the stranger finally said. An instant later, Neji felt a hand grabbing his wrist, as he was taken to his new owner. After the money exchanged hands, the stranger put a hand on Neji's shoulder and started directing him towards the exit. He tried to set himself free, but he was too weak. He could only let himself be carried out, feeling the fingers of his buyer strongly grabbing his shoulder, while his mind wobbled.

A minute later they were out, and he felt the sun over his face again. He wished he could take the bandage off and open his eyes. Neji could hear people walking next to them, which meant it was a crowded place. Suddenly, the stranger got closer to him, leaning over his shoulder, and Neji could feel his lips next to his ear.

"Neji, can you hear me?", the voice asked.

So he knew him. The stranger knew who he was.

"Who are you?", Neji questioned in a weak tone. Yes, the voice still sounded familiar, but he couldn't recognize it yet.

"It's Shikamaru", the stranger answered. Neji felt his heart jump. That was why the voice sounded familiar, he had hear it many times before. He felt an indescribable happiness at meeting with someone from Konoha again, after all that time.

"Shikamaru?", he asked, a bit incredulous. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story", the Nara replied. "Are you okay?".

They kept walking, getting away from the voices of people.

"I…", he started answering, but then he realized something. "You bought me?".

"Yeah…", Shikamaru said, sounding a little uncomfortable. "Not to enslave you, ofcourse. But if I didn't do it any maniac could have bought you".

Neji hesitated. It had been a very kind gesture from someone who didn't even knew him so much.

"It was a lot of money", he finally said.

"Yeah. I'm broke", Shikamaru admitted. "I'm sorry for bargain the price, but that was really all I had left".

Neji felt guilty about that. He lowered his head. "Thank you…", he whispered.

"Forget about it. We have to take care of your wounds, I can see blood behind your bandage", Shikamaru said. "Let's get out of here. Come".

During the next half an hour, Shikamaru carefully directed him, firmly holding him by the shoulder. Neji had always considered himself a cold person, but that was the first friendly touch he felt in a long time, and he secretly thanked for it. They began to climb a steep hill, and the ground soon became rocky. Climbing was difficult, especially not being able to see, but Shikamaru helped him at all times, not letting him fall. They stopped at a considerable height, and entered what Neji believed was a small cave.

"I've been hiding here for the last days", Shikamaru said somewhere close to him. "Zetsus still appear at nights, but they are not very good climbers, so we will be safe if we stay up ground level. Sit, I have to take that thing off your face."

Neji sat in the cold ground, feeling his cracked ribs hurting. They had never healed completely. His fever had not gone down, and he felt even weaker than before. He heard Shikamaru searching through his things, and then sitting in front of him. Neji felt the Nara's fingers carefully beginning to remove the bandage that covered his eyes.

Shikamaru let out a curse. He must look really bad. His wounds had not healed yet, and some of them were still bleeding.

"Fuck, Neji, what happened to you?", the Nara asked with a bitter tone.

"I was traped by a group of men", Neji explained in the most steady voice he could manage. "They were interested in the Byakugan, so they spent months studying my eyes. When they got enough they simply sold me to the slave trader".

Shikamaru kept silent for a long moment. He must feel sorry for him, which Neji didn't like at all, but he owned him too much, so he said nothing.

"I have some of my mom's balms", the Nara finally told him. "It will help those cuts to cicatrize, and after a little they'll heal. But I should probably clean them first".

He stood up and came back with a canteen of water, that he had probably collected during the rains. Then, with a wet cloth, he started cleaning Neji's eyes with extreme delicacy. After doing so, he put some balm on his wounds. It burned a little, but the smell of medicine was pleasant.

"How did you end up here?", Neji asked after a few minutes, while Shikamaru kept applying the blam, slowly sliding his fingers over his face.

"When the Zetsus came, I was lazing around with my team", he told Neji. "The cracks on the earth made us separate, and I couldn't find them anymore. I went to my house looking for my parents, but they weren't there. So I grabbed all I could carry and left Konoha. I came back a few days later, but there was no one left, and everything was rotting because of that green shit".

"Yes…", Neji whispered. "I came back too…"

A long silence came after. They had both seen their village destroyed, so they already knew it, but say it to another person made it even more real.

"You should probably remain without the bandage tonight." Shikamaru finally said, ending the silence. "So that it dries and the wounds have some air. I'll wash it and you can use it tomorrow. You must be hungry too, right?"

Neji heard him stand up and walk a few steps, to return seconds later and sit in the ground in front of him again. "Here", he said, approaching something to Neji's hand, slightly touching his skin with his fingers to let him know where the food was. Neji opened his hand and Shikamaru put something that felt like a flat rock on it. The Hyuuga felt with his fingers what was over it, and the familiar smell of meat got to him. But how was it possible? All the animals had starved after the Zetsus came, and their bodies had rotten by the green moss.

"What is this?", Neji asked with surprise.

"It's a bird", Shikamaru answered. "I don't know exactly which bird, but it's pretty good. Try it".

Neji did, and it was the most delicious thing he had had in a very long time. It was cooked, apparently on fire. It was just like what he used to eat in Konoha, completely different from that horrible paste with which he had been fed lately.

"Where did you get this from?", he asked, not hiding his astonishment. "All the animals died because of the moss"

"Well, not all", Shikamaru replied. "Birds can fly, so they simply moved to farther or higher areas. Remember I said Zetsus can't climb very well? And remember that green thing that covers everything? They produce it. They spread it with every step they take and to everything they touch. Because they can't climb, they didn't reach the top of the highest mountains, and that thing didn't got here. You can find birds and some little lizards. I don't especially enjoy the part of hunting and killing them, but is the best food I could find".

That was a lot of information to process for how sick Neji felt in that moment, but he listened with attention. "How do you know so much about the Zetsus?", he asked.

"I've spent a lot of time watching them", the Nara simply answered.

They ate in silence. At being with Shikamaru after all that time, Neji couldn't help but to remember Konoha. Even the worst missions they had had would have been better than that horrible chaos.

"Do you know anything about the others?", Neji asked lowly after a long time.

Shikamaru took his time to answer, but he finally did it. "No", he said dryly.

And that was it. Uncertainty, and the horrible feeling of knowing that the people they cared about could be dead. He had never imagine a future like this one. Shikamaru didn't talk for a long while, and Neji wished he could see his face. Was he having the same horrible thoughts he was?

"You should rest", he younger boy spoke at last. Then, Neji heard him placing a blanket or something on the cool floor, so he could lay over it.

"Where are you going to sleep?", he asked, thinking that the Nara had gave him too much already.

"Don't worry, I have another one of those", he answered. "Here, you can cover yourself with this".

Shikamaru gave him a big coat, and then made him a pillow with his backpack. He was being extremely nice, though Neji knew why: he was blind, hurted and malnourished. That was obviously making him look like he needed all the possible help he could get.

He heard Shikamaru walking to the exit of the cave and starting to wash his bloody bandage. Neji lay down over the blanket set for him, and covered himself with the coat. He listened to the Nara's sounds until he fell asleep, imerse of the pleasant smell of the warm coat, more comfortable than he had felt in a very long time.

Blinding lights blinked before his eyes, while sharp knives tried to cut him to death. He shook, but his body was trapped. He could not move. He heard a desperate scream in the silence of the night, and realized that it was him. He was sweating, though he felt freezing, and at the same time all his skin burned. His fever was even stronger now. He wished so much he could see.

He felt a hand on his arm, and words he couldn't understand. Seconds later, the hand moved away and came back with a wet cloth, which was placed on Neji's forehead. An arm slid behind his neck and he was drawn closer to a warmer body.

"It's okay…", he heard the voice say. He wanted to open his eyes, but the pain was just too strong. "It's okay…", the voice repeated. Neji caught the smell of the person holding him and realized it was Shikamaru. Blurred memories of the last hours came back to him. The Nara was trying to calm him down and lower his fever. Neji turned his head to him to say he was fine, but the only thing that came out was a cry of pain. "Shhh…", Shikamaru hissed lowly against his lips. "You'll be okay now… I got you..."

Somehow, those words brought him a bit of peace. After a little while, all the sensations faded away and he fall asleep again.

He woke up a few hours later, not screaming this time, but still feeling the fever burning him. He had no idea if it was day or night, or if he was still dreaming. Or maybe the last day had been a dream, and his encounter with Shikamaru had never happened. He couldn't feel the Nara next to him, so he tried to move his hand to reach him, but realized he couldn't move. He felt panic. Had Shikamaru returned to his spot, or had he never been there? Was he still in the hands of the trader? Was he still over the cold table of the man with the glasses?

He couldn't see, and had absolutely no idea of where he was. Darkness became terrifying, and he started shivering without noticing it. Suddenly, a hand took his, squeezing with gently fingers.

"It's still night...", the drowsy voice of Shikamaru murmured. "Go back to sleep".

He was there. The Nara had not separated from him, and was sleeping right next to him. Neji slightly squeezed his hand too, and the sudden panic disappeared. He was not alone in the dark. Shikamaru was there with him.

**Hello! Well, this is a new fic that I've been wanting to write for a while. I am already working on the next chapter, but I am also continuing another story that I have already started, so you'll have to be patient with the updates.**

**Please give me your opinion and tell me if you would like it to continue!**

**Pace***


	2. Chapter 2

During the next two days, Neji's fever remained constant. His body burned like lava, though he felt freezing. The pain from the wounds around his eyes was a torture, and it still made it impossible for him to open his eyelids. The only relief came from the comforting sensation of the balm on his scars several times a day. Although Neji couldn't see him, he knew that Shikamaru had not left his side at any time. The Nara made sure to wash his wounds and carefully put the medicine on them every day, repeatedly. He even tried to feed him, but Neji felt too bad to eat. However he did accept water every time Shikamaru reached out his canteen for him.

If it had not been for Shikamaru's constant care and for his mother's medicine, perhaps Neji would not have survived those last two nights. On the third morning he felt considerably better, and was able to sit over the blanket and eat.

"When you feel good enough to walk, we should move", the Nara told him from somewhere near him, while Neji drank some water. "There's nothing else here, so there's no point in staying more time".

The Hyuuga nodded in silence. Despite of the fever, he remember everything from the last two nights. How Shikamaru had cleaned his wounds and taken care of him, whispering once and again that everything was going to be okay. But what he remembered the most was the sensation of waking up not knowing where he was, paralyzed and terrified by the infinite darkness. Everytime, Shikamaru had took his hand and held it firmly until he was able to fall asleep again. That simple gesture had kept him from losing his sanity.

"Thank you…", he murmured, still holding the canteen between his hands. "For everything you have done for me". He took a deep breathe, and before Shikamaru could answer, he added: "If it hadn't been for you, I would probably be dead by now".

The Nara didn't say anything for a little while. Then, Neji heard him approaching and sitting next to him. "I doubt it", he replied, sounding calmed. "You are alive because you are tough. I couldn't have survived in your place, that's for sure". The Hyuuga heard him stretching to take something. "Now you're feeling better, I think you should change those clothes". Neji realized he still had the same clothes he was wearing the day he left Konoha, which were probably torn and stained with blood. "You can put this on".

Like he had been doing every time he handed Neji a plate of food, Shikamaru slightly touched his hand with one of his fingers. The Hyuuga extended his hand to grab what the younger boy was giving him. After inspecting it for a few moments he realized that it was a pair of pants and a light _juban_.

"You brought this from your house?", Neji asked, doubting that the Nara had had enough time to take a change of clothes when he was escaping Konoha.

"No", Shikamaru answered. "I found it in one of the last villages I checked".

"All the villages I checked were destroyed and rotten", Neji said.

"I know", the Nara agreed. "But you can still find things in some of them, where the moss did not penetrate. Sometimes I find trunks or closets full of stuff that are not contaminated. When you can stand, we'll look for another village".

Neji rested for another two days, and then he communicated to Shikamaru that he was ready to leave. He didn't feel completely recovered yet, but he didn't want to make the Nara waste more time because of him.

They left their shelter early in the morning, advancing through the rocky mountains, because Shikamaru insisted that they should not descend. Neji knew that Nara always went down from the mountains and only went up to take refuge, and he imagined the boy was probably worried about running into Zetsus or enemies now that he was dragging the Hyuuga with him. Neji was blind, and too weak to use his capacity of sensing people's chakras. He would definitely have been a burden in a fight, and that was enormously frustrating for him.

He didn't complain, though, and tried his best to walk between the rocks without falling. Just like he had done the day he found him, the Nara stayed close to him all the time, taking his hand now and them to help him climb, and making sure that Neji wouldn't lose his balance. He appreciated it, but at the same time he had never felt so incapacitated in his life.

They walked for hours, until Shikamaru decided they should stop because soon it will be dark again. They didn't find a cave this time, so they simply stretched the blankets in the open and sat down to eat. Neji couldn't tell if the sun was already setting, because all he could see was darkness behind his closed eyelids. He focused, and felt that the temperature was getting down. He hadn't spent so much time outside since the day before he was captured, and he told himself he had to learn how to use his others sens to feel his surroundings, at least until he was able to open his eyes.

After they ate, Shikamaru cleaned his wounds and applied the blam over his eyes again. Neji was feeling exhausted from the long walk, so in the second the Nara finished, he lay over his blanket to get some rest. He heard Shikamaru lying next to him. They didn't talk, mostly because there was not much to say. Next day they would continue they trip, hoping to find another village.

He felt the wind caressing his face, and the distant sound of owls. It should be dark already, and Neji wished he could at least see the stars. He wanted so much to open his eyes, but everytime he tried his eyelids hurted too much, sending waves of pain through his whole body. Again, he felt frustrated, and trapped. Trapped by the impenetrable black. He clenched his fists, not noticing that he was shivering. Panic started to take control of him, and breathing became hard. Was his body paralyzed again? He was about to scream, when Shikamaru took his hand.

This time the fever was gone, and Neji was completely awake and aware. The Nara had sensed that something was wrong with him, and had taken his hand to remind him that he was not alone. Neji had no words to thank him for the gesture, so he just squeezed Shikamaru's hand to show him his gratitude.

During the next three days the routine was the same. They woke up at early morning, walked for hours through the slippery rocks, and stopped before sunset. After eating, Shikamaru would take care of his wounds, and then they would lie over the cold ground together.

Every night, when he was about to fall asleep, he was assaulted by a sudden sensation of panic. He tried to open his eyes to free himself from the darkness, but couldn't. Neji was sure that it was the most terrifying feeling he had ever experienced. But every time that happened, Shikamaru took his hand. Amazingly as it could sound, it made the fear slowly fade away. It was a tender gesture, and possibly the most intimate that Neji had ever shared with anyone. In the past, his proud character would have made him reject a touch like that one, but now he was only relieved to feel that there was someone next to him. He knew it was a bit strange for two men to hold hands like that, but he was sure that Shikamaru did it only to give him some comfort. So every time the boy took his hand, he accepted it in grateful silence. And that way he could sleep.

They were walking slowly through the mountains. Shikamaru was in front, and Neji followed behind, paying close attention to the sound of the Nara's steps to evade the rocks. The breeze caressed his face, and he felt a different smell in the wind. _Water?_, he thought.

"I think a storm is coming", Shikamaru said ahead of him, speaking the words Neji was thinking. But he heard a strange tone of preoccupation in the Nara's voice.

"That is a good thing, right?", he asked. "To collect more water".

Shikamaru clicked his tongue. "Well, yes and no", he answered. "Come, let's find a shelter and I'll explain you".

They went up for a few more minutes, because apparently Shikamaru wanted to be as high as possible. The Nara finally found a crack in the rocks where they could take cover from the rain, very close to the edge of the cliff. As soon as they entered, the first drops began to fall. At first it was a soft drizzle, but it quickly became a dense rain. Neji heard the water falling above the surface of the rocks, and felt a few drops splashing his crossed legs.

"Well, that was fast", Shikamaru murmured, sitting next to him.

"What?", Neji asked, confused.

"The Zetsus", was the boy's answer. "They always come out with the rain. They love it".

"Are you seeing Zetsus now?", the Hyuuga questioned, wishing he could open his eyes and see for himself.

"Yeah…", the Nara replied. "They are simply there, standing in the rain. About a dozen of them". Neji frowned instantly. A dozen? That was a lot for how relaxed the Nara sounded. Shikamaru must have seen his reaction, because he added: "Don't worry. We're very high, totally out of their reach. They don't even see us".

Neji's frown softened, but he still wasn't convinced. He felt the horrible sensation of having to trust another person because he could not keep himself safe by his own. Luckily Shikamaru kept talking, and that silenced those thoughts. "It seems that they get stronger with the rain, as if they were some kind of plant. I think they feed mainly on water. I've seen they don't eat the bodies of the people they kill".

That sent a chill down Neji's spine. He couldn't help but to imagine the bodies of his friends and family, torn apart by the Zetsus and abandoned under the rain. Shikamaru probably realized about it, because he tried to lighten the mood. "Okay, that came out a little too creepy. Let's talk about something else. Did you wander for a long time before being captured?".

Neji shook his head slowly. "Only for a couple of weeks", he answered.

"Really?", Shikamaru asked, and the Hyuuga could hear surprise in his tone.

"What?", he questioned, turning his head to the Nara, even though he couldn't see him. The younger boy hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Do you know how much time has passed since then?".

Neji considered the question. The true was he didn't. The time he had been a prisoner of the man with glasses had seemed like a lot to him, but he had spent most of that time unconscious or delirious because of the fever, so he really had no idea. "No", he admitted.

Shikamaru didn't answer right away, which gave Neji the clue to suspect that a lot of time had passed. "It's been more than eight months since then", the Nara finally said.

Neji was stunned. That was indeed a lot of time. So he had been tortured and starved almost to death for almost eight months before being sold to the slave trader. After all the damage his eyes had suffered, it would be a miracle that when he could finally open them he could still be able to see. Once again, he felt dark thoughts dragging him down.

"Hey", Shikamaru whispered softly next to him. "You know what? We should take this chance to bathe, especially you. No offense, but you stink a little".

He had just said that to distract him, and Neji knew it. But he appreciated, so he gave the Nara a tiny smile. "I probably do. I haven't bathed in more than eight months".

Shikamaru let out a soft laugh at hearing him, which for some reason made Neji feel much better. They took of their clothes and left them inside their temporary shelter, to sit at the edge of the cliff and let the rain wash them. He realized that the fact of not being able to see made it way easier to be naked in front of the Nara. He didn't feel ashamed, although he knew that Shikamaru could see him. He let the water flow over his body, enjoying the mild cold of the drops on his skin.

After two more days of long walks through the mountains, Shikamaru finally announced that there was a village in sight. Neji thought the Nara was going to propose that he wait there while he went down to see if he could find anything useful, but the boy didn't do that, although it would have been well justified. Shikamaru probably believed that he could also be attacked while he was gone, and preferred to have him by his side to protect him. Neji hated that feeling of vulnerability and complete dependence, but he said nothing, and followed the Nara down the mountain.

According to Shikamaru, the village was covered in that filthy toxic moss, and it was as rotten as the others. The smell was penetrating, so they had to cover their faces with their shirts to create a minimal barrier that allowed them to move forward. They circled the deserted streets for more than an hour, until the Nara ordered him to stop.

"What?", Neji asked, as he heard Shikamaru walking to a side of the street.

"This house", the Nara answered. "It seems closed. And the interior looks good".

Neji imagined he was looking through a window. A second later, he heard strong blows on a hard surface. It seemed as if Shikamaru was kicking a wall. After a few tries, Neji recognized the sound of a door giving in.

"Well, this place looks clean", the Nara said. "Come".

Neji followed his voice, and searched the air with his hands to find the door. When he finally did, he heard Shikamaru walking in circles inside.

"There's not much", the Nara told him. "Just a tiny room, it has probably been a guest house room in the past. But at least there's a bed. It'll be good for your recovery to rest in a soft surface for a change".

Neji took some hesitant steps forward, until his legs crashed softly against the bed. He sat on the edge, listening to Shikamaru lock the door behind him again. After that he heard him moving things around and stirring the drawers.

"Anything interesting?", Neji asked, waiting patiently with his hands over his legs and his head fixed ahead.

"No, just a couple of very ugly adornaments", the Nara answered. "But the bed has a good cover. We will take it. It'll be useful when the winter comes".

Since there wasn't much there they could take with them, they decided they would only stay for one night. The next morning they would leave again, in search of another village. They still had the last leftovers of the last bird Shikamaru had hunted and cooked, so they settled down to eat. The Nara sat on the floor, leaning his back against the bed, while Neji stayed in the same place.

They ate in silence, and that allowed Neji to hear the sounds of the night birds that were beginning to come out. That told him it was night already, and he wondered how many days had passed since Shikamaru had found him. Eight? Ten? Maybe more. He didn't remember how long his fever had lasted.

"Do you want some more? ", Shikamaru asked, and Neji knew he was reaching the rest of his food for him. "I'm full".

That was a lie. He couldn't be full, no with just that tiny ration of food. He was trying to get Neji to eat more, which indicated that he must still look remarkably malnourished. "You are not", he answered, leaning to put the flat stone he always used as a plate on the floor.

"I am, I swear", he heard the Nara insist, while Neji sat straight on the edge of the bed again. He was glad he couldn't see Shikamaru now, lying directly to his face for pity. The Hyuuga bit his lip, feeling more helpless and pathetic than ever.

"You do too much for me", he finally answered. It didn't matter how hungry he was, he didn't want more favors for compassion.

"No, I don't", Shikamaru replied softly. "We have to share what we have, right?".

Damn Nara. Why did he have to be so nice? It only made Neji feel even worse. He clenched his fists over his thighs with frustration.

"You would be much better without me", he said in a bitter tone.

He heard Shikamaru leave the rest of the food aside too. "I wouldn't", the Nara simply whispered.

Neji shook his head. "Please. You could walk at a normal pace, or move much faster, and you would not have to worry so much about running into enemies".

"Maybe…", Shikamaru replied, and Neji heard a strange tone of anguish in his voice. "But that doesn't mean I would be better".

Neji couldn't believe that, and he wouldn't. "How is that possible? I am just making things more complicated for you".

Shikamaru took a few moment to answer, an the Hyuuga wished he could see his face. "That's not true", the Nara finally said. "I've been alone for almost nine months. You are the first familiar person I find since I left Konoha. The company is a good change".

Neji frowned. He remembered his feeling of relief when he recognized Shikamaru's voice after the boy bought him to the slave trader. At that time he didn't care that they hadn't been close back in Konoha, he was just happy to hear a familiar voice after so much chaos and loneliness. "So...", he started saying. "You prefer to drag with me than to be by yourself?".

The question faded in the air. After a long pause, Shikamaru answered. "I do", he simply said.

There was something different in his voice. It sounded hoarse and serious. A very long silence came next, in which Neji felt a little lost. Was Shikamaru okay? Why wasn't he speaking? When the Nara finally talked again, his words seemed distressing.

"During the last months, I started thinking I was never going to find someone from Konoha. That maybe nobody had been able to escape, and they were all dead… To see you, after I had completely lost hope, was…". He stopped. Neji could hear his words starting to choke. "If you were still alive, maybe my parents… My team…".

Neji heard him exhale hard, as if he was holding an incipient cry. It was so sad. The boy had spent many months alone, fearing for his friends and family, thinking that he was probably never going to see them again, and that he had absolutely no link to his past and his home anymore. Neji had been so sick and weak that he didn't have time to worry about those things. He wished so much he could look at him in the face and say that everything was going to be okay. Instead, he reached out a hand to softly grab Shikamaru's shoulder. In the instant he did, he realized the Nara was shivering.

The boy didn't reject his touch. His breathing became agitated, starting to come out in short bursts. Neji squeezed his shoulder gently, and the Nara began to tremble more violently. A second later, the older boy felt the warm sensation of Shikamaru's forehead over the back of his hand. His skin got wet, and he knew the Nara was silently crying.

A powerful wave of compassion filled Neji's chest. He didn't feel sorry for Shikamaru, he actually understood how he felt. Nothing had ever produced such empathy in him, and perhaps that empathy was what the Nara had felt for him when he saw him for the first time, right before buying him.

Threads of tears fell down the back of Neji's hand. He squeezed his fingers harder on Shikamaru's shoulder, but that wasn't enough. Without letting him go, he slid down the bed to sit beside him, and placed an arm around his shoulders.

Not only did the boy not push him away, but he wrapped his arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, hiding his head in Neji's neck. The Hyuuga held him firmly, while Shikamaru shook by the harsh sobs that had finally broken him. He had been so lonely, crossing paths only with enemies, and this was the first time in months that someone gave him a bit of comfort. Neji placed both arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, thinking that they only had each other in the whole world, and they didn't know for how long it would be like that. They were alone, but at least they were alone together.

Shikamaru cried for long minutes, letting out all the anguish and pain he had been feeling. The Hyuuga waited patiently, simply listening to him in the complete darkness of his closed eyes. After a while, the Nara loosened his grip on his waist and took a deep breath, without yet removing his face from Neji's neck. When he managed to calm down a little, he let his arms slide down and leaned against the bed. Neji sat quietly beside him, wishing he could see him, but thinking that if he could, it might have been harder for Nara to show himself in that state to him.

"Thank you…", Shikamaru whispered in a tired voice. Neji didn't know what to say, so he simply smiled, expecting that the Nara saw it. He couldn't explain how he knew it, but after a few seconds, he could swear that the boy was smiling too.

They were silent for a while, just sitting next to each other. For some reason, the atmosphere between them felt comfortable and nice. Neji thought he hadn't felt so good in months.

"It's late", Shikamaru said softly, ending the silence. "We should go to sleep so we can leave in the morning". Neji nodded, and stood up slowly. He heard the Nara reaching for his backpack. "Take the bed. You still need to rest more that I do. I'll be just next to it".

The Hyuuga sat on the edge of the bed and felt it with his hand, checking the size. "There is a lot of space", he said, turning his head to where he thought Shikamaru was. "We have to share what we have, right?", he added with a smile.

He heard a soft, relaxed laugh. "Right", Shikamaru answered, and approached to sit next to him. They lay down in the bed together, with their faces toward the ceiling. It didn't take long for Shikamaru to take his hand. And Neji accepted it, squeezing it gently.

**Hi! I hope you enjoyed chapter two!**

**Thank you all for your nice comments, you have received this story really well and that makes me so happy! I couldn't ask for more sweet and faithful readers than you: ')**

**I can't wait to know what you guys think!**


	3. Chapter 3

He took a deep breath, aiming to the bird's head. _Focus_, Shikamaru told himself. He tried to see the imaginary line between his prey and the stone he was firmly holding in his slingshot.

Months ago, when he thought he was going to starve to death, he discovered there were still birds in the highlands. Since there was nothing else to eat, the boy understood he had to learn how to hunt them. He had to sacrifice one of his backpack straps, but finally with that and a sturdy branch had managed to make a fairly firm mechanism.

Unfortunately, he failed every time he tried to use it. After several days Shikamaru accepted that the thing wasn't going to work. But he had nothing better to do than keep trying, so he did. The time he finally got it, he knew he just had to improve.

And he hadn't done it much, because his aim was still quite bad. He had to try several times before he could actually hit a bird. And it didn't help that this particular midday his thoughts were so volatile.

Neji's face came to his mind. Pale cheeks, dark hair, and eyelids covered with deep scars. He remembered the Hyuuga the night he found him, so thin and ill he thought he was going to die. That was a very terrifying memory, the most terrifying Shikamaru could have ever imagined. That he had found Neji, only to see him die. Fortunately, against all odds, the boy had made it. And Shikamaru shouldn't have been surprised. He was Hyuuga, Neji, after all.

He remembered how stoic and serious Neji was back in Konoha. Always distant, training hard to get better and better. Relentless, independent, self-sufficient. A person with a rough past, forced to serve his insane clan with his life. Despite that, he had become one of the best ninjas in the village, and without anyone's help.

Shikamaru could only imagine how bad he was feeling now in that condition. Besides, he knew the Hyuuga was a pretty proud person. Having someone taking care of him must be humiliating for him. The image of Neji's scars pierced deep in his memory, and he had to close his eyes.

Shikamaru lowered his arms with a hoarse exhalation, and the bird he was trying to hunt flew away. He had a bad feeling about leaving Neji alone, but because he couldn't see the boy wasn't stealthy enough to go hunting. The Hyuuga had repeated many times that he was going to be okay, until Shikamaru finally agreed to leave. The boy knew he would only make things harder, and seemed to have accepted the situation. That was not like the Neji he remembered.

But even more surprising than his acceptance of his condition, was the Hyuga's reaction to Shikamaru's breakdown from a few nights ago. He had been so nice and compassionate, even though he hadn't said a single word. The Neji he remembered would have qualified that behavior as weakness. But the way he had hugged him the other night, clinging tightly to him while Shikamaru discharged his grief, and the way he silently accompanied him after he finally stopped crying, were graven in his memory. He had never expected such kindness from the Hyuuga, and he was grateful for it.

_Is that why you keep taking his hand at nights?_, a voice asked inside his head.

No. He did that for Neji. Because the first nights he seemed to lose track of his surroundings and then started panicking, and Shikamaru hadn't found a better way to calm him down. He did it because Neji needed it.

Although the truth was that Shikamaru had continued to take his hand, even after those episodes ended. He didn't know why, but holding Neji's hand gave him a sense of tranquility he hadn't felt in a very long time.

_So it's because you need it._

He shook his head, trying to push those thoughts away. He had to concentrate on finding food, so he could go back and check on Neji.

About half an hour later he was climbing back to their temporary shelter in a much better mood. He had managed to capture a huge bird, bigger than he had ever seen. It looked like some kind of duck, which surely had stopped to rest during its migratory flight. Shikamaru entered the cave carrying the animal in his arms.

"Guess what", he said with an enthusiastic tone, seeing from the corner of his eye that Neji was sitting on his knees a little further inside the shelter. He put the duck on the ground and started taking off his backpack. "I found a huge bird. But like, enormous. I was a little sorry to kill him, but we'll have food for weeks". Neji didn't answer, so he straighten and turned towards him. "What do you say? Are you hungry?".

The Hyuuga was facing one of the cave walls, so Shikamaru couldn't see his face. Once more, he didn't answer, which wasn't a good sign.

"Neji?", the Nara asked. Again, nothing. Realizing something was up, he walked slowly to the Hyuuga. In that moment, a chill ran through his spine. Neji's eyes were no longer closed.

Shikamaru stared at the boy's face. His expression was blanck, and his eyes were completely white. He remembered that Neji's eyes were a light lavender color, like Hinata's and all Hyuugas. That could mean bad news. He frowned, starting to get really worry.

"Your eyes are open", the Nara said after a long pause. Neji didn't speak or change his expression, but this time he nodded. At least he had shown that he could hear him, so Shikamaru tried again. "And... can you see?".

There was no reaction for a long while. Neji simply stood there, staring at the void in complete silence. Then, he just shook his head slowly.

_Fuck_, the Nara thought. This was bad. The Hyuuga had been waiting for the moment in which he could finally open his eyes, to realize he couldn't use them. Shikamaru studied his face and noticed that his expression wasn't blank at all. He actually looked devastated. His head and his shoulders were down, as if he had given up completely. Something Shikamaru had never expected to see on Hyuuga, Neji's face, and he felt he had to do something about it. Very slowly, he walked forward and kneeled in front of the boy.

From a closer distance, he could see Neji's scars around his now white eyes. The Hyuuga looked as if he wasn't there, so Shikamaru reached a hand to gently grab his shoulder.

"Listen", he whispered softly. "Maybe it's temporary. Your eyes suffered a lot of damage. Maybe they'll clear up gradually". Neji didn't push him away, but he frowned and clenched his teeth in obvious frustration. Shikamaru had never seen him be so expressive, because the Hyuuga was the best at hiding his emotions. And that only meant he was feeling terrible. "Hey, it'll be okay…", the Nara said, not knowing how to offer comfort.

"I am useless", Neji murmured at last, with a bitter tone that made Shikamaru's blood run cold.

"You're not", he answered, but the Hyuuga shook his head again.

"What use can I have against those monsters, or against anyone, if I can not see?", Neji spit back, clenching his fists over his knees. "I can't even protect myself". He pursed his lips together, forming a grim line. "I have no use. I am a burden".

Shikamaru squeezed his shoulder gently. "Don't say that", he replied. "Maybe we can train your other senses. You can still be able to fight". Neji sighed deeply at the idea, filling the Nara's chest with anguish. "C'mon. You're a Hyuuga, right? And one of the best, if not the best. If there's someone who can overcome this, that's you". The older boy's expression softened with this words, but after a second he frowned with frustration again. He looked hurt, and defeated. Shikamaru had no idea of how to help him, so he simply squeezed his shoulder a bit more. "Hey, it'll be alright", he said in the most comforting voice he could manage. "I promise".

Neji didn't reacted for a long moment. During that time Shikamaru studied him, realizing he had never stared at anyone so directly to the face during such a long time. Because the Hyuuga couldn't see him, he could just look at him without making it awkward. Shikamaru paid close attention to the details of Neji's face, from the elegant line of his lips, to the white spirals on his cloudy eyes. He remembered Ino saying the Hyuuga was handsome, and in that moment Shikamaru though he could agree with that. Finally, Neji moved, letting out a deep breath, and lifting a hand to put it over the Nara's. He squeezed it gently, and Shikamaru took it as a good sign. Maybe it meant he accepted his proposal. Training Neji so that he could fight despite of his blindness didn't seem at all impossible to him. He knew how good and persevering the boy was. He just needed to give him some confidence. "So", he said, smiling though the Hyuuga couldn't see him. "Are you hungry?".

A little later, Shikamaru was leading Neji to an open valley hidden among the mountains where he could start a fire. As soon as they arrived he started collecting branches and dry leaves, while the Hyuuga sat on the ground not far away. When he considered he had enough to start, he approached to Neji and began to prepare everything. First, he bent down and took the huge bird.

"This is probably gonna take a while", he said to the Hyuuga. "I'm pretty low with this tasks". He saw Neji sigh bitterly, so he stopped what he was doing. "What's wrong?".

The Hyuuga shook his head. "I can't even provide food for myself", he answered. "If I could use my eyes, I could help you. I could hunt and make the fire and even cook and…". He left the words die on the air and let out a tired exhalation.

"Well, now that I think about it", Shikamaru started saying, thinking that he had to find a way to lift Neji's mood. "I think you can actually help".

At hearing his words, Neji straightened a little and widened his eyes. He was so damn expressive, the complete opposite of what Shikamaru remembered. Was it possible that because he could not see he was less aware of his expressions and let them show? Or maybe by not feeling Shikamaru's gaze on him he didn't restrict himself so much. Anyway, the Nara was kind of glad he could stare at him with total freedom.

"How?", the Hyuuga asked, turning to where he thought Shikamaru was.

"I don't especially enjoy the part of plucking the feathers", he said, approaching to Neji with the big bird on his hands. "It's messy. Maybe you could try while I start the fire".

With no hesitation, Neji nodded firmly and stretched his hands to take the bird. He looked suddenly determined, as if he was facing a great challenge. Shikamaru helped him place the bird over his legs. Neji felt everything with his hands before he started trying to pluck the feathers with his fingers. The Nara watched him for a few moments, and smiled when he saw the funny expressions Neji made to concentrate. He decided to give the boy some space to deal with the task by himself, and turned around to start the fire.

They worked in silence. After many tries, Shikamaru managed to start a tiny flame. He kept an eye on Neji all the time, making sure the boy didn't get frustrated or something. About an hour later, the Hyuuga called with an insecure voice.

"I think I am done", he said, and Shikamaru approached. Neji's hands were covered with the bird's blood, and he was surrounded by feathers. The Nara knelt to look at the dead animal over his legs.

"Hey, it looks great", he said. And it was true. Neji had done a very good job.

"Be honest", the Hyuuga ordered with a serious voice.

"I'm being honest", he assured gently. "You did it perfectly. It takes me like two hours, and I always tear it apart". He made a pause. "You're good at this".

Neji rolled his big, white eyes. "Great. I have a fantastic ability". He said. "It will be very useful in battles".

Shikamaru smiled at the sarcasm, but he knew he had to keep the Hyuuga away from those negative thoughts. An idea came to his mind. "Hey, you do have a fantastic ability. You can you feel other people's chakra, right?".

A dark shadow spread across Neji's face. He lowered his head and frowned, but not with anger. It was more like a strange mixture of impotence and... fear? Those were two things Shikamaru had never seen on the Hyuuga's face.

"I tried…", Neji said, almost whispering. "Little after you found me. And I couldn't feel anything".

Shikamaru processed those words. It had been several weeks since he had found Neji. Why hadn't he tried again? It only took him a second to realize what the boy was afraid of. If he couldn't use his Byakugan, and neither his ability to perceive chakras, he could hardly call himself a Hyuuga. Shikamaru could only imagine how much this possibility must be terrifying him.

"But you're much better now, right?", he asked, sitting next to the Hyuuga. "You look stronger, and you're almost completely recovered. I bet you still can".

Neji hesitated, like he wasn't sure of wanting to know the answer yet. Apparently all the things he had suffered in the previous months had marked not only his body, but also his self-confidence. Shikamaru tried to speak in the most encouraging voice he could manage. "Why don't you try it?". Neji clenched his bloody hands over the dead bird on his legs, still doubting. He bit his lower lip, causing Shikamaru to lose concentration for a few seconds. The Nara shook his head, and tried again in a sweeter tone. "C'mon. Can you feel my chakra now?".

The Hyuuga pressed his lips together and frowned, probably having and internal battle with his emotions. After a little while, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He narrowed his eyes, focusing. Shikamaru wondered if he wasn't closing his eyes completely to concentrate because he was already in complete darkness.

Seconds went by slowly. The Nara increased his chakra gradually, studying Neji's face. His pale skin contrasted sharply with the scars around his eyes. However, he looked as beautiful as he had always been. Finally, something changed in his expression. He widened his eyes, which shone like huge pearls, and straightened, opening his lips with surprise. Shikamaru waited, expectant. Neji´s mouth curved into a soft smile.

"Yes", he said, and turned his head in the Nara´s direction. He looked happy, and Shikamaru couldn't be more relieved. He smiled too, and put a hand over the Hyuuga's shoulder.

"I knew you could do it", he whispered. Neji let out a soft laugh, and Shikamaru felt his heart racing at the wonderful sound.

**Hi!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It is a little shorter than the previous ones, but the next one will be a bit longer.**

**Thank you for all the support and the beautiful comments! ^^**


	4. Chapter 4

For the tenth time, Neji repeated in his mind the contents of the backpack, trying to remember the exact order of each item, just like Shikamaru had taught him. Left pocket, medicines and medical supplies. Right pocket, water. Center, the food reserves, another bottle of water, a rope, several kunais, the slingshot, the bed cover they had taken from the last village, and the flat stone Neji had been using as a plate when eating. The Nara told him it wasn't really just a stone, but that it was actually a piece of flint. His clan had used that stone for years to light fires, and that piece had passed from generation to generation to his grandfather, and then to his father. When hitting it with a metal it emitted sparks, which had been very useful for him.

"I don't know why I took it", he said to Neji when he was teaching him the content of the backpack. "I saw it when I was leaving the house, and I simply had to take it. I didn't even think about its use…".

Neji heard the slight affliction in his tone. He was becoming very skilled in recognizing the Nara's state by the small variations of his voice. It wasn't hard to imagine why the boy had taken the stone. The feeling that his home would be destroyed, and that there would be nothing left of his past and his family's history, led him to cling to that object. It was very clear to Neji, but he didn't say it. He didn't want to hurt Shikamaru, bringing back those dark feelings, and he enjoyed when the boy shared his thoughts with him. Besides, the fact that the Nara had given him an ancient relic of his clan, only to help him with the task of eating, seemed like a very disinterested and humble act for him. Neji had never related Shikamaru with either of those two concepts.

The Nara had been working hard to help Neji regain some autonomy, being extremely patient and kind. It had been his idea to show the Hyuuga the content of the backpack, so he could reach for the things by himself. He also proposed that Neji could carry it from time to time, and the Hyuuga accepted immediately. He needed to feel useful, because now he only felt like a burden.

It had been about twenty minutes since Shikamaru had left. He had gone to inspect the area, in search of a better refuge, because the one they had found the previous day was too small. At that moment they had to seattle with it, because a dense rain was starting to fall on them. How long could take Shikamaru to find another place? After how long should he start worrying? If something happened to the Nara while he was out, Neji had no way of knowing.

He shook his head, trying to block those thoughts. To distract himself, he took a big breath and tried to recognize smells. He could still feel the water of the past storm in the air, and the particular scent of wet rocks warming with the morning sun. Mixed with the wet breeze, he felt Shikamaru's perfume coming from the backpack he still held in his hands.

Neji waited, and waited, and waited. Many times he tried to perceive the Nara's chakra, but he felt nothing. That meant the boy was still out of his reach. He was getting impatient, and worrying. It had already been an hour? Or maybe more?

Suddenly, he felt something. His heart jumped at recognizing Shikamaru's chakra. The boy was approaching slowly to the refugee. But there was something that caught Neji's attention. His chakra felt messy, like... disturbed. Something had happened to him? He waited until the Nara was a few steps away and stood up.

"Are you okay?", he asked, not even trying to hide his preoccupation.

"Hey", Shikamaru answered. He sounded calm and relaxed, but Neji could detect something else in his voice. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?".

He was going to answer, when he felt an unmistakable smell coming from the Nara. Neji's breath froze in his throat. He took a step forward.

"Don't lie to me", he said seriously. "I can smell the blood".

Shikamaru went silent for a few seconds, but then he exhaled with resignation. "It's just a scratch".

"How big?", Neji asked, taking another step in the Nara's direction.

"Tiny", Shikamaru replied quickly, walking back to get away from the Hyuuga. "It's okay, really".

The smell of blood was getting more intense, and Shikamaru's chakra was flaming erratically, like he was under a considerable pain. Neji tried to get closer again and extended his arms. "Let me feel it", he said.

"That's not necessary", Shikamaru assured. "It's nothing, I'm fine".

"Please", the Hyuuga implored, with his hands towards him. Shikamaru didn't say anything, though Neji could feel his eyes on his face. After a moment, he exhaled with resignation again.

The Hyuuga heard him approaching, and suddenly he felt Shikamaru sofly taking one of his wrists, and leading his hand to the wound. It was a long, deep cut over his left hip, and a lot of blood was coming out of it. That was definitely not just a scratch.

"We have to clean this, and bandage it", Neji said, turning and hurrying towards the backpack. He knelt on the ground and started looking for he water and the medicine. "What happened?".

He heard Shikamaru walking slowly towards him. "Calm down, I'm not gonna bleed to death on the ground. It's not so deep". With a hoarse complaint of pain, he sat next to Neji. "I slipped on the wet rocks and fell down the slope a bit. There were some Zetsus below, strengthened and renewed by the rain. I escaped from them climbing again but one managed to reach me while I was going up". Neji heard him moving next to him, and groaning in pain.

He could have killed himself. In the fall, and in the confrontation with the Zetsus. Luckily he had reacted fast enough and managed to run away, but he might not be so lucky the next time. A horrible premonition where Shikamaru died and he simply stayed there, waiting for him forever, made Neji's heart shrink.

"Kami…", the Hyuuga whispered, squeezing the balm and the water bottle in his hands. Was he shivering? He must be, because Shikamaru reached a hand to softly take his wrist again.

"Hey…", he said in that mild, gentle voice he always used to reassure Neji. "I'm okay, don't worry".

He tried to calm down. This was no moment to let his emotions take control of him. He needed to clean Shikamaru's wound and stop the bleeding. Focusing in the task ahead, he straightened and turned to the Nara.

"Take off your shirt", he ordered. After a few seconds, the younger boy released his wrist and did what he asked, getting rid of his shirt and throwing it aside.

Neji worked carefully in the wound, which was hard not being able to see. First he washed it, and then he applied a good amount of Shikamaru's mother's medicine, like the Nara had done with the cuts in his eyelids weeks ago. Shikamaru's chakra calmed down slowly. Neji could feel his deep breathing very close to his face. They didn't say a word for a long time.

Being extremely careful, he put the long bandage over the wound. The idea that this could be the same bandage he had worn over his eyes assaulted him. Shikamaru leaned closer, to make it easier for him to wrap his body with the long strip. Neji ran his hands around the Nara's waist a couple of times, feeling his warm skin under his fingertips. His cheeks brushed briefly, and he felt the sudden need to bring his face closer to the younger boy's to feel it again. The smell of Shikamaru's sweat mixed with the medicine clouded his mind for a second. After securing the bandage, he slowly withdrew his hands to laid them on his lap.

"Thank you", the Nara said, and Neji knew he was smiling. But that was not enough to make him feel better. The previous fear had not disappeared from his chest yet.

"This can't happen again", he affirmed in a serious tone. "We should not separate. What if something worse had happened? I would never know...".

"Hey, take it easy", Shikamaru tried to calm him down again. "Nothing happened, I'm fine".

"Next time there might not be a second chance. I have to be able to help you", Neji answered firmly. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I want to train".

The Nara said nothing for a little while, and Neji could feel him studying his face. Finally, he exhaled lazily. "Okay. Let's train".

That was not the answer he would expect from the Shikamaru he remembered from the Academy, so Neji couldn't help to suspect something. "Really?", he asked. "And you would train too?".

The Nara clicked his tongue. "Well, you'd be training", he replied. "I'd be more like a… Supervisor".

Neji let out a soft laugh at hearing him. Shikamaru laughed as well, and the fear from the last minutes vanished with the sound.

The next day they woke up early in the morning. The storm had disappeared and the sky was clear. Fortunately, he didn't have to remind Shikamaru of his agreement from the previous day. Once the Nara was completely awake, he went straight to the point.

"Well, let's do this", he said in a positive tone Neji had never heard coming from him back in Konoha. For a second, the boy reminded him a little bit to Naruto, and even to his teammate, Lee, and his sensei, Gai. In the past he had thought it was an exasperating behavior, but now he was somehow encouraged by it. Shikamaru was just trying to motivate him, and Neji knew he needed to avoid falling into sadness and into the feeling of shame towards himself. He was impatient to prove that he was not disabled, and that he could still fight.

They walked among the rocky paths until they reached a clear area.

"This is a good spot", Shikamaru told him, standing in front of him. "Hidden among the mountains and with enough free land.

Neji took a deep breath, clenching his fists to try his strength. "Let's start, then", he said clearly, and started concentrating his chakra. He took the guard position of the Hyuuga clan, and prepared. "Do it".

Shikamaru didn't approached or talked for a moment. Was he trying to confuse him? Finally, the Nara spoke with a lost tone.

"What?", he asked.

Neji didn't move from his position. "Attack me", he said clearly. "Go ahead".

Shikamaru exhaled in amusement. "I'm not going to attack you", he answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"How am I going to learn how to fight like this if I don't fight?", he replied. "Do it, I am ready".

"I don't think this is a good idea. Shouldn't we start with something more... basic…?", the Nara questioned.

Neji knew the truth behind those words: the boy didn't want to attack a blind person, but that was just pity, and he wasn't going to improve with pity.

"I have to start by the hardest part", the Hyuuga insisted. "Do it".

Shikamaru hesitated by a few moments, but after a while he let out a deep breath. "Fine, then here I go, I guess".

Neji's senses sharpened. He could feel Shikamaru's chakra right in front of him, though he couldn't tell his exact position. The presence approached. It came so close that Neji could feel it just inches away from his skin. Was Shikamaru really so close? To protect himself, he threw a blow forward, though his fist didn't hit anything. But he could feel the Nara right there. He was about to try with another blow, when something hit the back of his ankle and made him lose his balance. Feeling his surroundings shaking violently, he landed on the hard ground. When he realized what had just happened, a wave of rage grew inside him.

"Did you just trip me?", he asked furiously to wherever Shikamaru was in that moment.

"Yeah…", the Nara answered calmly somewhere near. "And it was pretty easy".

"How dare you?!", Neji spit with indignation. "That is cheating, and is definitely not fighting". He stood up and kept talking to where he thought the Nara was. "It is dishonorable and coward. Are you not taking this seriously? I can take an attack, a fair attack, and…"

He felt so humiliated and weak for being defeated in such a silly way, so he continued complaining, discharging all his frustration. Suddenly, he heard Shikamaru laughing softly not far away, and seconds later, two hands grabbed his shoulders gently. The Nara turned him slowly so they were facing each other.

"No offense, but you don't even know where I am", Shikamaru told him. It was the crude truth, but the kind way the Nara said it made Neji not feel so bad. "How about we start recognizing the source of the sounds?".

Neji felt him letting go his shoulders and walking away a little. "Can you tell me where I am now?".

Of course he could, it was stupid simple. He had only walked a few steps backwards. "You are in front of me", he answered with a bit of exasperation.

"Good", Shikamaru replied, and Neji heard him walking again. "What about now? Can you turned to where I am?".

He could tell the Nara's voice wasn't coming from ahead anymore. It sounded a little more to the right now. So he turned until he thought they were face to face again.

"Are you sure?", Shikamaru asked. Neji realized immediately what he was doing. The Nara was speaking again to help him correct his direction. Indeed, he didn't sound like he was exactly in front of him, so Neji turned a few more inches. "That's right, well done". Shikamaru started walking again, and the Hyuuga could hear him surrounding him. "And now?".

They repeated this many times. At first it had seemed silly to Neji, but after a while he realized he was improving in telling Shikamaru's position. He could feel his chakra, and with that he could have a general idea of where he was standing. At hearing him speak, he could tell the exact place if he focused enough.

"That went pretty well", the Nara said after about an hour of practicing. "Let's try something else now. Can you tell where I'm looking at?".

What the hell did that mean? He was obviously looking straight to Neji. "You are looking at me", he answered, not understanding the point.

"Good", Shikamaru affirmed. "And now?".

Neji detected the change immediately. The Nara's voice sounded strangely diminished, although it didn't seem to come from another place. After thinking for a moment, he understood what was happening.

"You have turned", he said, expecting to be right. "I am facing your back".

"Yes!", Shikamaru exclaimed, and his enthusiasm made Neji feel way better with himself. "And what about now?". This time he hesitated about the answer, so the Nara spoke again to help him. "Take your time", he said.

That was enough for Neji to decipher it. "You turned left", he finally said.

"Exactly!", Shikamaru replied, and he sounded sincerely happy. "Good job".

They continued with this training for long hours. At the end of the day Neji's ear had improve with the practice, and he could tell the Nara's exact position, no matter where he was.

"So this means you can tell where an enemy is and where he's facing by hearing his voice", Shikamaru said. "This has a good side and a bad side. The good side is that we only need to make enemies talk, and I'm very good at that. The bad side is that it will only be useful to fight people, because Zetsus are not really the talking type. But we'll work on a solution for that. I think it went really good for the first day. You deserve to rest".

They returned to their tiny refugee, because according to Shikamaru it was about to get too dark to find another one. The next day they would move again, and practice a little more. Neji felt that, with Shikamaru's help and a lot of effort, he could maybe still be a decent fighter.

Three days later, Neji's hearing was much sharper. On the one hand, he wanted to run into enemies to test his improvement, but at the same time he knew he was not yet ready to fight and defend himself. They were walking by the mountain slope when Shikamaru ended the silence.

"Fuck", he said a few steps ahead of Neji.

"What?", the Hyuuga asked, almost crashing against him.

Shikamaru clicked his tongue. "It seems that the mountains end here. Ahead everything is flat terrain". Neji was about to ask what would they do now, when the Nara spoke again. "Wait, I see a village! It's not too far away, let's go check it".

They went down the mountain carefully. Shikamaru took Neji's hand to help him keep his balance, and after a while they were at ground level. The Hyuuga tried to perceive other people's chakras, but apparently there was no one around. They walked for about an hour until they reached the village.

According to Shikamaru, it was also devastated and abandoned. Neji could tell by the smell that is was rotten like the previous one they had visited. They walked through the streets for a little while, but apparently there was nothing that wasn't covered by the green moss.

"Wait", Shikamaru said at some point. "That place looks clean, though the doors are open".

The Nara directed him until they reached the place. They climbed a few small steps and entered.

"Waw, this is pretty cool", Shikamaru told him. "Looks like a samurai _dojo_". Neji couldn't do more that wait while the Nara inspected the place, so he simply heard him while the boy took a look around. "It seems that someone got here before us and took everything useful. There are weapon racks, but they are empty. Still, we can stay here for the night".

Neji sat on the wooden floor, while Shikamaru kept registering the place. "Hey, looks like they left something", the Nara said not far from him. "Man, this is awesome!".

His enthusiasm made Neji curious. "What is it?", he asked.

"A _bō_", Shikamaru answered.

The Hyuuga lifted his eyebrows. It didn't seem like a very useful weapon for him. "A _bō_?", he repeated. "Yes, that is awesome".

Shikamaru recognized the ironic tone, and let out a soft laugh. "C'mon, this is a great weapon", he said approaching to the Hyuuga.

"You are not serious", Neji replied. "A _bō_ is not even a real weapon. It is just a stick for training".

"First, it is a real weapon", the Nara replied, standing in front of him. "And second, it is the perfect weapon for you".

He felt a bit offended by that comment. Even though he couldn't see, he couldn't help to roll his eyes. "Right", he said with sarcasm. "A cane for a blind person. How appropriate".

"Well", Shikamaru continued. "There is a reason why blind people use canes, you know".

Just the idea of using something that resembled a cane made Neji feel even more disabled.

"I do not need a weapon", he said proudly from his spot in the floor. "My hands are my weapons".

"But you wouldn't use it as a weapon", Shikamaru clarified. "That'd be what the enemy would think, but you would actually be using it to recognize your surroundings. Come". Neji couldn't see him, but he knew the Nara was extending his hand to him to help him get up. He hesitated, not convinced at all with the idea. He took too long, so Shikamaru insisted. "C'mon, just try it won't kill you".

The Hyuuga let out a resigned exhalation, and finally extended his hand. Shikamaru took it and help him up. Then, he gave him the _bō_ and surrounded his hand with his, grabbing the weapon firmly to show him how to use it. He moved it slowly across the floor.

"See?", he asked. "The enemy will think you're using the _bō_ to strike from a safe distance, because at being blind you are weak in a melee fight. But you'd only be using it to scan the place, and if the enemy gets close you have your Gentle Fist, which is the real big deal".

Neji pursed his lips, still not liking the idea. "Please", Shikamaru insisted in an imploring voice. "Just give it a shot".

They spent the rest of the day practicing with the _bō_. It wasn't as bad as Neji had imagined after all. He could actually picture himself using it in a battle, though he was having a hard time accepting it. He had never needed a weapon before, because his hands were more lethal than any sword, so he had always felt a slight contempt for them. He used to consider that people who used weapons were not really that strong, because they needed something to compensate for their physical weaknesses. It was Tenten's case. Without her ability to summon weapons, she was not a very dangerous opponent. At remembering her, he felt bad for having understated her battle style for so long. After all, she was one of the few women in the village who could handle weapons so well, and that was something to admire. At that moment, he wished he hadn't been so hard on her in the past. She had been a very good friend, and he missed her very much.

With the passing of the hours, Neji began to feel more confident in handling the _bō_. But he was still havin a tough time manipulating it. It was hard to handle something he couldn't see.

"It is pointless", he said to Shikamaru, who was finishing eating, sitting in the floor. "I can not even balance it in my hand. If I had my eyes I could do it".

"You just need more practice", the Nara answered, standing up and approaching to him. Shikamaru stood behind Neji, and put his hand on his. He made him extend his arm in front of him, firmly grabbing the _bō_ like he had done before. Shikamaru helped him finding the right balance, gently holding his hand around the hard stick. When he thought the Hyuuga had it, he would let his hand go, but Neji could only maintain it for a few seconds before it started staggering.

They repeated this many times. It was amazing how patient Shikamaru was with him. He was always encouraging him, and he stood behind him all the time, helping him when he needed it. Neji was surprised about how comfortable he felt in that position. He could feel the Nara's body against his back, and his warm breath in his ear. The soft touch of the boy's hand over his was somehow comforting and pleasant. It was almost intimate, and for some reason he found himself wishing the moment would never end.

A little latter, they settled on the floor to sleep. But Neji still wanted to practice, so after a while, he gently released Shikamaru's hand - they had never stopped holding hands to sleep - and groped for the _bō_ to continue training. He still couldn't balance it perfectly, but he was getting closer.

He dropped the weapon many times, but the Nara didn't seem to have woken up. So he continued for a long while, until Shikamaru's voice startled him.

"Could you please go back to sleep?", he said with a drowsy voice. "You can continue practicing tomorrow".

It was true, he had all the time of his life to learn how to use the _bō_ properly. So he let the weapon in the floor and got back to lie down next to the Nara. Shikamaru took his hand again, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"I was thinking", the younger boy whispered next to him. "Tomorrow we could look for some trees so that you try to climb them. That's always useful when there are Zetsus nearby. Would you like that?".

Neji felt his heart warming at the proposal. Shikamaru was being so nice to him, and he was touched by the fact that the the boy was always trying to find ways to help him improve. Unconsciously, he squeezed the Nara's hand and smiled.

"I would", he whispered back.

"Good", Shikamaru replied softly. "Then we need to rest. Go back to sleep".

Feeling a sudden avalanche of affection and gratitude to the Nara and to everything he was doing for him, Neji snuggled against him, resting his face on his shoulder. "Good night", he whispered.

He felt Shikamaru gently stroking the back of his hand with his thumb. "Good night", the Nara answered, and Neji couldn't help to smile again.

**Hi there everybody! **

**I'm really sorry for the long wait. My parents were visiting so I couldn't find time to write. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that you have started the year happily and with your loved ones.**

**Thank you all for the love and support! ^^**


	5. Chapter 5

Neji threw the _bō_ up for the fifth time, as high as he could. He heard it spinning in the air for a few seconds and then descend again. As he had done the previous times, he caught it before it hit the ground.

He was getting better and better with the weapon, but he wouldn't stop until he felt it was like an extension of his arm. Despite of what he had thought before, he had to admit it had turned out to be very useful. Training with Shikamaru, he managed to keep the boy at a considerable distance with it. They had not yet done the test fighting against Zetsus, but he felt he would be able to do it. He just needed to keep practicing.

Neji remembered training with his team, trying to coordinate with them to work together. Sometimes it had been difficult, because his teammates had their own personalities. Lee was too reckless, and he usually threw himself at the enemies forgetting the plan, and Tenten used to be a bit lazy. Neji had dealt with both, forcing himself to control his temper and be tolerant. With Shikamaru that was not necessary. The boy was as committed to each task as he was, and remained positive and focused when they trained. It was so easy to work with him. They had never had a real argument. The few times when Neji got frustrated or exasperated only a little, Shikamaru responded with that sweet and relaxed voice, and with such kind words, that Neji calmed down immediately. It was hard to get mad at him if he was so gentle. Sometimes, even before the Hyuuga said anything, Shikamaru began to tell him the right words to take away his worries, like he could read his mind. Thas was probably a lot, but Neji was sure the boy was becoming an expert in reading his expressions. Even if he tried to control his reactions, the Nara saw through him. And it wasn't strange, because he had been looking at Neji, and only Neji, for almost two months. For many weeks, they had talked only among themselves, and had shared every moment of every day. In the same way that the Hyuuga was learning to detect every slight change in Shikamaru's voice, the younger boy was also beginning to know him better.

The Nara had discovered the _bō_ could also serve as a good tool to climb. Neji had managed to climb trees alone, but sometimes it took him too long to find where to put his hands and feet. In an emergency, that could cost him his life. Instead, if Shikamaru went up first, then he could use the _bō_ to help him up. In the same way, if Neji was up he could help the Nara to get up faster. They tried this many times, and realized that it was very practical. Doing this, they could get out of the Zetsus reach very quickly. So the _bō_ was actually useful for both of them, as a team.

With this in mind, Shikamaru suggested it would be better if the two of them could carry the weapon, and they could easily pass it to the other when necessary. With clothes they found in the next villages they checked, they put together two holders to carry it on their backs, and added another one to hook it into the backpack. Also, using a few small sleigh bells that he pulled from inside an old toy he found, Shikamaru tied a ribbon to the tip of the _bō_, so Neji could hear it when he threw it at him. The sound was very subtle, but now that his sense of hearing had developed a little more, the Hyuuga could hear it perfectly when approaching through the air.

He threw the _bō _in the air again, thinking about the last weeks with the Nara. Their dialogues were sometimes very particular. By just resting one hand on his forearm, he could transmit something to Shikamaru. Like, pass me the water bottle, or it's time to go to sleep. The boy always got the message. And contact was become something so natural that Neji sometimes didn't even notice it. Not only for how they held hands every night. He had actually realized about it while they trained climbing trees with the _bō_. Shikamaru would sit in a high branch, and then reach the weapon to him. Neji would grab the other end, and jump softly to help the Nara lift him. Once at the same high, Shikamaru would take him by the waist to sit him between his thighs, clinging firmly to him so he wouldn't fall. In those moments, Neji could feel his warm chest against his back, and his strong arm around him, but he didn't feel uncomfortable at all. It wasn't easy to admit, but that was the closest he had been to anyone before.

"You haven't dropped it once in half an hour," Shikamaru said after a while of watching Neji throw the _bō _upwards again and again. The Nara was lying on the grass of the small clearing where they were camping, while Neji practiced. "I think you already got it".

The Hyuuga caught the _bō _one more time and then stopped. "Yes, you are right", he answered calmly. "And there is another thing I have been wanting to try".

He firmly took the weapon with both hands and buried it deep in the ground. After trying to move it a few times, to make sure it was stable, he started walking away.

"I don't see where this is going", Shikamaru said behind him.

Neji smiled but didn't stop walking. "You are about to", he answered.

When he considered he was far enough, he stopped and turned around. A gentle breeze was blowing that morning, and Neji could hear the sleigh bells clinking softly at the tip of the _bō_, so he could tell exactly where it was. He took a deep breath and prepared himself. If he missed, it could hurt a lot. When he finally felt ready, he started running forward.

He could only imagine Shikamaru's expression, watching him with confusion, and he hoped the boy wouldn't try to stop him. He focused on the sleigh bells sound, and extended his hand. In the moment he touched the _bō_, he held tight to it and lifted his feet from the ground. The impulse of the run was enough to make him go around the axis. Fortunately the weapon resisted. After two quick turns around it, he placed his feet on the wooden stick. The _bō _bowed with his weight, but didn't break. Neji waited for the right moment, when the stick began to straighten again. Then, he let go his hand, and took a powerful jump. He felt that he had reached a good height, enough to take a turn in the air before falling. When he finally touched the ground, the force was too much, and he had to kneel down so as not to lose his balance. But seconds later he was standing again, and totally unharmed.

He heard a whistle behind him. "Wow", Shikamaru exclaimed at his back. "I have to say it. That was pretty impressive, Hyuuga".

Neji turned around with a proud smile. "Thank you", he answered, and approached to the Nara to stand in front of him. "Did you make that sound?".

"What? This?", Shikamaru said, and repeated the whistle.

"Yes", Neji replied. That was an interesting thing. An idea started forming in his head. "You can whistle?"

"Well, yeah", the Nara replied, probably not considering it as an interesting fact.

"And can you make different sounds?", Neji kept questioning, sitting in front of him.

"I don't know", the Nara replied. "I guess I probably can. Why?".

"Well", Neji started explaining, while he combed his hair with his hands. "We could use them as signals. You know, different sounds, meaning different things".

Shikamaru went silent for a few seconds, and once more, Neji had the feeling that the boy was smiling. Because of how his voice sounded when he spoke, he was not mistaken.

"I like how you think", the Nara said, and then added with enthusiasm: "Let's give it a try".

They stayed there, sitting opposite each other on the grass, trying different sounds and giving them meanings. Some were very similar, but Neji could distinguish them by their small variations.

"I think this is going to work", the Nara said after a while. "And what about you? Can you whistle?".

"I can not", Neji answered sincerely.

"Well, it would be better if we both could do it", Shikamaru replied. "So you'll have to learn".

The Nara spent the next hour teaching Neji how to whistle. He had never tried to do it, and it was not as easy as he would had imagined.

"No, close your lips a little more", Shikamaru instructed, while Neji blew without getting any sound. He felt a bit stupid, but the Nara's soft laugh helped him relax. "No, no so much. Here, feel how I do it".

Shikamaru took Neji's wrist and put his hand on his lips. Then he whistled softly, and Neji felt his warm breath against his fingers. He tried to remember the position of Shikamaru's lips to imitate it correctly. The Nara lowered his hand, though he didn't let it go. Neji was already so used to the sensation that he barely noticed it.

"Now you try it", Shikamaru said, and Neji did, but again nothing but air came out. "Mmm, no", the Nara repeated, and took his other hand to Neji's face. He gently pressed his cheeks with his fingers, and the Hyuuga felt a soft heat spreading across his face. Fortunately Shikamaru didn't notice, or chose not to mention it. "Do it again", he said, without removing his hand. Neji did as told, and finally a weak sound came out. It was not very clear, but it was something. The Nara laughed softly again and lowered his hand. "Just keep practicing".

They continued throughout the day, sitting quietly on the grass. Shikamaru would make a sound, and Neji would try to imitate it, although it never sounded the same. When it began to get dark, they climbed a large tree to spend the night safely. Zetsus had no chakra, so if they came while they were sleeping, Neji wouldn't be able to perceive them. They had to stay out of reach all the time. The two boys settled on a thick branch and ate, chatting calmly.

"You had a good idea today", Shikamaru said when they finished their food. "I see why people used to call you a genius".

Neji heard him leaning his back on the thick trunk, so he slipped carefully through the branch and sat next to him. "I can not let you have all the good ideas", he answered calmly. Shikamaru chuckled softly next to him.

"I was thinking though", the Nara continued. "What about situations when we can't make sounds? Say, there are enemies nearby and they could detect us. These signals wouldn't work".

Neji considered the situation. If he wasn't blind, they could simply use hand signals like shinobis did in missions, but with him that was useless. He shrugged, feeling a little angry at himself.

"Mmmm", Shikamaru meditated next to him. "Let's see if this works". He took Neji's wrist and placed his hand over his thigh. Then, he put a finger in the center of his palm, touching it softly. "Let's say you're here, in the center. And I want to tell you there's a Zetsu in front of you". Shikamaru lifted his finger and put in a little higher on his palm. "Can you feel it?".

He could, and he could totally understand what the Nara was saying, so he nodded. "Really?'", the boy asked. "Let's say is more than one, and that I do this". He moved his finger to the left, and pressed three times against his skin. It only took Neji a second to get it.

"Three Zetsus, to the left", he answered, expecting to be correct.

Shikamaru let out a soft laugh. "Yes. You're amazing, without a doubt", he said, and Neji smiled broadly.

They remained there, sitting with their backs against the big tree, improving the new code. Neji felt Shikamaru's fingers sliding down his palm gently. He enjoyed the proximity, and the nice conversation. When they finally settled down to sleep, the Hyuuga realized he was actually very tired. He fall asleep quickly, holding Shikamaru's hand, as always.

He woke up a few hours later, when a cold breeze reached him. The temperature had descended a lot, more than in the previous days. That meant winter was approaching. He moved a little in his place, trying to snuggle against the Nara's warm body. This caused Shikamaru to wake up, and he squeezed Neji's hand in a reflex.

"What happen?", the younger boy asked with a sleepy and startled voice.

"Nothing", Neji answered softly. "It is getting cold".

"Oh", the Nara replied, calming down. "Wait a second".

He felt Shikamaru sitting next to him and reaching for the backpack, without letting go his hand. Neji heard the boy struggling with the zipper for about a minute.

"Shikamaru?", he called in a whisper.

"Mmmm?", the Nara murmured, still focused on opening the backpack.

"You can let go my hand to open the backpack".

"What?", Shikamaru asked. He was obviously still half asleep. "Oh, right", he added, and Neji could hear the embarrassment in his voice. He laughed softly while the Nara used his boths hands to open the backpack.

Seconds later, he felt Shikamaru covering them both with the blanket they had found in the first village. Neji sighed softly, enjoying the warm sensation. He turned his back to the Nara to lie on his side. But suddenly he felt something was missing. And it was the touch of Shikamaru's hand. Without even thinking about it, he extended his arm, expecting that the boy would see it. The Nara did, and he immediately took Neji's hand again. It was nice to know that he was always paying attention to him.

The Hyuuga pulled from his hand to make him come closer. Without saying a word, Shikamaru lay down behind him, surrounding him with his arm. Neji felt his heart beating against his back, and the constant sensation helped him get back to sleep. He sank into his dreams, feeling protected by Shikamaru's embrace.

Two years went by. The world remained the same, almost deserted and hostile. The few people they had met had been aggressive, and they had to fight against them to prevent them from stealing the few things they had. Neji had become extremely skilled with the _bō_, and thanks to the perfect coordination between them, they were able to fight without the Hyuuga's blindness being a problem. They had faced all the wandering Zetsus that crossed their path, always leaving practically unharmed from every confrontation.

They had become close, very close. Shikamaru enjoyed being able to look at Neji without impediments, thanking that the Hyuuga couldn't see him staring. He loved watching Neji's face while he trained, while he talked, or even while he helped him prepare the food to cook. He made the most cute expressions when he focused, and watching him laugh at his jokes was just priceless. He had never felt so comfortable around anyone, but after two years, he was not surprised anymore.

Shikamaru bent down to pick up the lizard he had just killed. It was of a vibrant red and not very large, although it was chubby. He knew sometimes nature warned with its colours from being extremely poisonous, but he also knew that it was very frequently an illusion. It didn't look very healthy for him, but he hadn't found any birds and they were running out of food. He took the lizard by the tip of the tail, not liking it at all, and decided to take it to Neji to ask for his opinion.

They always took every decision together. About food, shelter, which path to take next. And they never, ever argued. After all that time, they functioned like a perfect team.

"I found a lizard", he said to Neji when he returned to the clearing where they were camping. He always moved a little away from their shelter to hunt, but the Hyuuga could always call him with a loud whistle. They had dozens of those signals they used to communicate through the distance. At hearing his voice, Neji turned around. He was kneeling on the floor, putting their things in the backpack. Shikamaru approached to him. "But I don't know if we should eat it. It's red and in could be poisonous. Besides, looks pretty disgusting".

Neji stood up and extended his hands towards him.

"Let me see", he said. Shikamaru gave him the dead lizard, already knowing that the boy saw everything through his hands. The Hyuuga inspected the animal, feeling it and studying its condition. "It doesn't have much meat," he said, while squeezing the lizard's stomach, causing its tongue to come out.

"Gross…", the Nara said, watching Neji manipulate the thing. The lizard had crooked horns and a frightening face. "This mother fucker was ugly".

The Hyuuga arched his eyebrows and the corner of his mouth arched into an approaching smile. Shikamaru could see a joke coming.

"Don't say that to him, poor thing", Neji answered, making a step forward. "He wants to be your friend. Say hi". A second later, he was approaching the lizard to Shikamaru's face.

The Nara raised his hands to keep the animal away from him. "Ew, get that thing away from me!", he screamed, though he was smiling. Neji laughed openly and stopped. They usually jocked like that, playing around just to have some fun. He was laughing as well, when Neji's face suddenly changed. He straightened and opened his eyes wide. "What?", the Nara asked immediately.

"Someone is coming", the boy responded. "Two people. They will be here soon".

Shikamaru took a second to think. It was okay, they were prepared for this situations. It was always better to avoid confrontation. They only fought if they had no choice.

"To the trees", he instructed with calm. Neji nodded, and knelt to finish putting their things in the backpack. Shikamaru tossed the lizard to the bushes, and lifted the _bō _from the ground. He walked to the Hyuuga, who help him put the backpack on, and then they approached to a tree. Shikamaru went up first, and then helped Neji with the _bō_. They sat over a branch, waiting for the strangers to cross the path below them. The Hyuuga touched his hand to tell him they were coming.

Shikamaru heard them speaking. They were two adult men, and they were arguing.

"There could be more Zetsus down this way", one of them said. "We should get back".

"But there could be people hiding in this forest", the other one answered, and Shikamaru felt he had heard that voice before. "We have to make sure".

Neji squeezed his hand softly, calling his attention. Shikamaru looked at him, and saw he was touching his ear. _Yes_, he thought. _That voice is familiar_. He squeezed the Hyuuga's hand too, showing he agreed.

The men kept talking, walking right under their feet. If they knew that person, it could be someone from Konoha. He needed to see the man's face. He turned Neji's hand up to slid his fingers through his palm. "Wait here", was the message. The Hyuuga frowned, not liking the idea, but he knew Shikamaru would call him if he needed him, and he would be ready.

Being careful not to make any sound, the Nara slid down the branch to peer through the leaves. He managed to distinguish the faces of the men. One of them was a stranger. The other one had familiar eyes and was chewing a small branch. Shikamaru opened his eyes wide, and felt his heart racing. He slid back to sit next to Neji and took his hand again. Over his palm, he wrote with his fingers the word GENMA.

The Hyuuga opened his mouth, as stunned as him. They had to make contact with the man, thought they had to be careful as well. Very quickly, they established a plan.

Seconds later, Shikamaru was silently sliding down the tree trunk.

"Let's go to the North now", Genma's voice sounded under him. When the two men turned to leave, Shikamaru jumped from the tree and landed in the ground, with practically no sound.

"There is a swamp in that direction", he said. The two men turned again with a startle. "I wouldn't recommend you going that way".

The stranger drew a sword from his hip and pointed it at the Nara's chest. Genma opened his eyes wide and dropped the branch he was chewing.

"Stay back!", the stranger exclaimed, ready to slash him, but Genma put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Wait!", he screamed, looking at Shikamaru with astonishment. "I know him!". The other man lowered his sword, and Genma made a few steps toward the Nara. "Shikamaru?", his old sensei asked.

The boy couldn't help but to smile a little. It was good seeing another comrade from Konoha after so long. "Hi, Genma-san", he answered calmly.

"Kami, you're alive", the older shinobi said, approaching a bit more and studying his face. "You survived during all this time. This is amazing. Are you okay?".

Shikamaru took a prudent step back, and Genma stop approaching. "I am", he replied, getting serious again. "But I must ask. Are you still friend, or did this apocalypse drive you crazy too?".

Genma's expression at his words was honestly sympathetic. "Of course I'm a friend", he said. "We have been searching for survivors. And you, have you been all by yourself for all this years?".

Gemma had always been a good man, as long as Shikamaru remembered, and he felt he could trust him. So he smiled softly again. "Not exactly", he replied, and then took a hand to his mouth to make a loud whistle. Seconds later, Neji landed next to him.

When the Hyuuga stood up, Genma's jaw dropped again.

"Neji!", he exclaimed. "You're here too! I can't believe this. I…", but he stopped at noticing the strange colour of his the eyes and the dark scars around them. "What happened to your eyes?".

Shikamaru saw the boy smiling softly next to him. "It is a long story", he answered. "Hello, Genma-san".

The man approached to them and put a hand on their shoulders. He looked genuinely happy. "This is so great, boys", he said. "You have to come with us. The Hokage will be so glad you're okay".

"The Hokage?", Shikamaru asked, filling his heart racing. "She's alive?"

"Yes, like many others", Genma explained. "We have a camp with survivors from different villages a few hours from here". He turned around and started walking, leading the way. "Some of your friends are there. Inoichi and Chōza's kids..."

"Ino and Choji?", Shikamaru questioned again. A strong wave of relief ran through his body at hearing that his teammates were safe.

"Yes!", Genma confirmed. "And also that girl from your team, Neji".

"Tenten?", the Hyuuga asked. Shikamaru saw his blind eyes filling with emotion.

"Yes, her", Genma said again. "Let's not waste any more time. We have to get back, they'll be so happy to see you guys".

Neji turned his face to Shikamaru, and the boy could see the mixed feelings reflected on it. He felt just the same. Their friends were alive, and there were more people from home, not far away from there. They were going to meet them soon. After so much time by themselves, those were huge news. He took the Hyuuga's hand and squeezed it gently. Neji returned the gesture, and smiled excitedly.

**Hi everybody!**

**Like never, I'm on time! Hope you have enjoyed this chapter, I really like it. I love writing sweets interactions between this two, I hope you guys like reading them!**

**Thank you very much to my faithful readers. You're the best! ^^**

**Please, let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

They walked steadily between the trees behind Genma and the other man. Neji carried the bo on his back, and held on tightly to Shikamaru's arm, letting him lead. In the second they started moving, the Nara started asking questions.

"Are my parents in the camp, Genma-san?", Neji heard him interrogate next to him.

"No, I'm sorry", the older man answered. "We still don't know anything about them".

Shikamaru's body tensed up a little. It was very subtle, but Neji felt it. He gently squeezed his forearm, and the Nara responded a moment later by softly touching his hand for a few seconds.

"And my family?", the Hyuuga dared to ask. "My uncle and my cousins…".

"Nothing yet, I'm sorry", Genma replied ahead of them. Neji felt his heart shrinking with the possibility of finding out they were dead. Shikamaru must have seen it, because he touched Neji's hand again. "But don't lose hope, boys. We continue to find survivors. Like you two. There are many confirmed casualties, but most people are still missing. We can still find them".

That was true, Neji thought. An hour ago they were quite convinced that there were no more survivors from Konoha, and that they would continue to be alone, perhaps forever. They had come to accept that, and the memories about their families had become less frequent. To know that there was still a small chance of finding them alive was definitely a good thing.

"What about what happened?", Shikamaru kept asking. "Do you know anything about this creatures? What they are? Who sent them or who controls them?".

"Well…", Genma hesitated. "That's a little more complicated. Your friend Naruto is doing his best to be able to protect us".

"Naruto?", Shikamaru asked immediately. Neji noticed the excitement in his voice at hearing from his friend. "Is he in the camp?".

"No", Genma answered. "After the Zetsus' attack, he left with Kakashi and Killer Bee to train his _Kyūbi_. They are the only ones who have a chance against Madara.

Neji thought he had heard wrong. Genma couldn't have said that name. That person had died many years ago, according to what he had learned in the Academy.

"Madara?", Shikamaru questioned next to him, clearly just as confused. "Uchiha, Madara? How can he be alive?".

"We don't know that yet", Genma confessed. "But he freed the Zetsus, and he still has more. Occasionally new hordes appear. It was very difficult to build a shelter that they could not penetrate, but thanks to the survivors from other villages, we were able to do it".

That was a lot of information to process. Neji held tight to Shikamaru's arm, wondering how could a few survivors wage a war against one of the most powerful ninjas in history. Naturo's and Bee-sama's _Kyūbis_ were really the only hope.

Nobody talked for a while. The two boys were still assimilating the situation, when Neji felt the unmistakable smell of water in the air.

"A storm is coming", he said.

Shikamaru believed his words without hesitation. "If there's still Zetsus around this area, we should stop and continue after the storm", he said to the two men ahead of them.

"I don't think a storm is coming", the stranger answered. "The sky is completely clear".

"Believe him", the Nara replied. "He's never wrong".

"Mmm", Genma meditated. "Water is no good". This words told Neji he already knew the rain was good for those creatures too. After considering it, he finally decided that they would stop and take cover until the storm passed.

The group sat in the ground and ate. Shikamaru and Neji shared their last leftovers with them, but the two men had food too. They told them that over time they had managed to plant vegetables and rice to supply all the survivors who took refuge in the camp. They were obviously very well organized, and Neji could only imagine how much effort that should have cost them. When the first drops started falling, they climbed to the trees to spend the night.

The two boys sat on a big branch, leaning against the thick trunk like they always did. When Genma's partner started snoring in the next tree, Shikamaru leaned closer to him.

"How are you?", he asked in a whisper.

Neji considered the question. He was indeed very happy to know that soon he would meet with Tenten and with more comrades from Konoha. But he did not forget the fact that he was blind now, and that surely nobody expected it. What would they think of him when they realized? No doubt they would feel sorry for him, which he didn't like at all. In the past he had always shown himself strong and unwavering, an image of pure perfection. Now he needed a cane or to hold on to Shikamaru's arm to walk and not bump into everything. They might even think that because of his blindness he had slowed Shikamaru down.

"Fine", he answered after a long while. "A little nervous, I think".

"Yeah", Shikamaru agreed next to him. "Me too".

Neji hesitate a lot before asking the next question. "Do you think they will be angry at us?".

Shikamaru's voice remained calm and kind. "What would they be angry at us?", he asked.

Neji lowered his head and rubbed his hands with doubt. "Because we didn't find them sooner. Maybe without me, you would have arrived here a long time ago".

"I don't think so", Shikamaru answered sincerely. "We decided every road and every turn together. Maybe I wouldn't even have come in this direction without you. Besides, it doesn't matter how much it took us. What matters is that we find them". He took Neji's hand comfortingly. "Don't worry. They'll be happy to see us".

Trying to stay positive, the Hyuuga let out a deep breath. He squeezed Shikamaru's hand, grateful to have him by his side.

The next morning the storm had dissipated, and they were able to resume the road. Their destination was less than an hour away, so they walked quickly. Shikamaru could not help to imagine the faces of his teammates. Would they have changed? Would they have been injured in any way, like Neji? The Hyuuga walked beside him clutching his arm tightly. Shikamaru knew the boy was worried that others might feel sorry for him because of his blindness, but he was more positive. He was hoping the Hokage could see Neji's eyes and do something about them. If there was someone who could heal a wound like that, it was her.

"We're almost there", Genma said ahead of them. Shikamaru looked up, and was surprised to find a huge construction. He saw a circular moat, apparently pretty deep, that surrounded a very high palisade made of something that looked like solid stone. The fortress was almost as large as a village. It reminded Shikamaru of pictures of Iwagakure he had seen in books. No doubt that had been built with the _Doton_.

They followed Genma to the edge of the moat and stopped. Shikamaru looked up, and saw the heads of several men watching them from above the high walls.

"We're back!", Genma screamed, waving at them. They must have recognized him, because they disappeared from view, and seconds later, the earth shook as the walls began to open.

Neji gave a small startled jump and clung tighter to Shikamaru's arm. He searched for the Hyuuga's hand to let him know everything was okay. Ahead, a bridge descended to allow them to cross the pit. Genma gave them an encouraging sign with his hand, and started walking behind his partner. Shikamaru turned his face to Neji. The boy really looked as if he was having an internal fight with his emotions, and Shikamaru had to admit he felt the same way. Of course he wanted to see his friends, more than anything. But after so much time alone with Neji, it was weird to be around other people again. He squeezed the Hyuuga's hand gently, checking silently if he was ready. After letting out a deep breath, Neji nodded. They started walking and crossed the bridge together.

They followed Genma behind the palisade, and entered a huge camp full of activity. People of all ages walked among the many tents. The ground was not earth, but solid rock, and Shikamaru immediately understood it was a barrier to prevent the Zetsus from entering. Genma leaded them through the crowd, to a sector that seemed destined for medical attention. There he stopped, searching with his eyes between people's faces.

"Your friends are always around here helping out", he said. After a few seconds he widened his eyes and pointed to the left. "There".

Shikamaru followed his hand, searching for his friends. And very soon he found them. First he recognized the faces faces of Ino, Tenten and Sakura, chatting animatedly. Then he saw Kiba's disheveled hair and Choji's huge back, as the boys were standing right in front of the girls. Next to them, a huge Akamaru scratched his ear with his hind leg.

He felt his heart shrinking. The sight of his teammates was the most relieving thing he had seen since he had found Neji. Shikamaru knew he should walk the Hyuuga to them and say hi, but he couldn't move for the moment. He could only stare at his friends, completely paralyzed. Neji softly caressed his forearm, waiting patiently. Right then, Akamaru stopped scratching and started sniffing the air, rising his ears. He had grown a lot in two years. The animal kept sniffing, turning his thick neck around to look back. It took him a second to find the source of the familiar smell. At seeing Shikamaru, he stood on all four legs and barked loudly, moving his tail.

When the dog started running towards them, his friends turned, but Shikamaru couldn't see them anymore, because Akamaru's huge body was approaching fast. The animal jumped and started liking his face with excitement.

The Nara did his best to keep the dog away from Neji, who was still holding his arm. Despite the saliva bath, he was happy to see that silly dog. In the distance, he heard a woman's sharp cry, and he knew it had been Ino.

"SHIKAMARU!", the girl screamed, and more voices started yelling too.

"NEJI!". That was Tenten, who sounded just as excited.

After a while someone took the dog off him, and seconds later Ino was crashing against his chest, separating him from Neji. The girl surrounded his neck with her arms and cried uncontrollably. Next to them, Tenten was hugging the Hyuuga and crying as well.

Shikamaru accepted his friend's embrace and returned it. He used to hate when Ino tried to hug him back in Konoha, but this time he couldn't be happier. From over her shoulder he saw Sakura and Kiba, who was still trying to control the dog, and finally Choji's smiley face, who stared at his teammates with glassy eyes. At watching his best friend's expression, Shikamaru felt he could cry too.

Ino sobbed and babbled incomprehensible things against his chest for several minutes. Finally she move back a little to see his face. Rivers of tears fell down her cheeks.

"It's you, I can't believe this", she said with a weak voice. "We thought the worst. We thought you were…". She broke and the phrase died in the air.

"I told you he would be okay", Choji affirmed at her back. He approached to them with a bright smile and put one of his huge hands over Shikamaru's shoulder. The boy couldn't do anything but return the smile, feeling his eyes aching.

"It's so good to see you!", Sakura exclaimed, staring at the two boys with affection.

Akamaru finally calmed down, and Kiba approached to give Shikamaru a friendly pat on the back. "I knew you'd make it, man", he said with a huge smile.

"Fuck, I…", Shikamaru stuttered. "I'm so glad you guys are fine…", were the only words he managed to say. Ino hugged him again, and over her head he saw Tenten crying between Neji's arms.

"Oh, Kami, Neji", the kunoichi said, taking a step back to dry up her tears and look at the Hyuuga. "I thought I was never going to see you again. I looked for you everywhere, I…", but she stop at seeing the scars around Neji's eyes, just like Genma had done. She covered her mouth, horrified. "Kami, what happened to your eyes?". Everybody turned around to stare at the Hyuuga.

Neji opened his mouth to answer, but Sakura interrupted him, approaching to take a look at the wounds. "That looks very serious, Neji", she said. "Let me take care of it".

The Hyuuga raised a hand in her direction to stop her. "It is not necessary", he replied. "I am okay".

In that moment, both girls realized Neji couldn't see them. Shikamaru could tell by their expressions. Their eyes filled with grief, and their mouths twisted in a grimace of compassion.

"Kami, Neji…", Sakura whispered, forming a fist with her hand and pressing it against her chest. Next to her, Tenten was crying in silence unable to speak, just staring at her friend with sorrow. "You are blind?".

Despite of being just a weak whisper, the question reached the whole group. Kiba, Ino and Choji stared at each other, and then looked at Neji with the same pity and sympathy.

In that moment, a few more people from Konoha approached. Among them were Iruka and Shizune, who were also very relieved to see them.

"It is such a miracle that you managed to survive by your own", Iruka said.

Before anyone else could speak, Sakura turned to Shizune with tears filling her eyes. She gave the woman a sad look and spoke with a trembling voice. "Shizune-sama… Neji's eyes…"

The kunoichi frowned, and approached to Neji. She leaned to study the boy's eyes, but in just a second she saw it. With her great medical knowledge, she could recognize any injury. Her expression softened.

"Kami, Neji. I'm so sorry", she said sincerely.

"I am okay", Neji repeated, not comfortable with the situation. "You have nothing to worry about. It is fine".

The presents were silent for a moment, not understanding how the Neji they knew could be okay with being blind. Shikamaru felt he had to help him.

"He really is okay", he said, and everybody turned to look at him. "It happened long time ago, and now he's doing great".

Everybody turned to Neji again. The boy smiled, reaffirming his words, and Shikamaru felt relieved.

"We'll prepare you something to eat, and you can tell us what happened", Shizune finally said.

They were taken to a quieter area. A large circle of logs placed on the ground like benches, surrounding a huge burned out campfire. Shikamaru sat on a log between Ino and Choji. The kunoichi wouldn't stop holding his arm, as if she feared he would disappear again at any moment. Neji knelt on the ground in front of him, next to Tenten. Sakura, Kiba, Iruka and Shizune surrounded them to hear their story.

Neji told them how he escaped from the village after the attack, and how he was almost immediately captured by the mysterious man with round glasses. He explained why his eyes looked that why, and how the experiments they carried out with him had made him lose his sight. The Nara was glad Neji couldn't see their expressions at that moment, full of anguish and pity. Neji related the moment when Shikamaru found him, and how they survived during those long years.

Their friends were shocked. Tenten was still crying next to her teammate, probably still trying to assimilate that he was blind now. Shikamaru knew things like that made Neji feel weak, and he had the sudden need to take his hand, like he always did when he wanted to show his support to the boy. But for the first time in two years, he realized he couldn't do it. Or maybe he could, but what would the others think about it? Would it be weird form them?.

"You have been very strong and smart to survive, boys. No doubt", Shizune declared after Neji finished their story. "The Godaime will be very happy to see you".

That reminded Shikamaru of what he had been thinking just half an hour ago. "Where is she?", he asked to the woman. "She has to see Neji's eyes and tell us if she can fix them".

Shizune stared at Neji for a second, and then back to him. "She's out in a mission now, looking for survivors", she answered. "When she returns she will see Neji's eyes. If there is a cure, she will know it".

Shikamaru saw the anticipation on the Hyuugas face, and once more, he wished he could take his hand.

"You won't have to worry about anything anymore, "Iruka said." Here you will have food and a place to sleep every night".

Tenten joined her hands with enthusiasm. "Yes!", she exclaimed. "I can share my tent with Neji!".

Ino clung tightly to Shikamaru's arm. "And Shikamaru can come back with his team!". The Nara looked down to see her face, and noticed her eyes were glassy again. For some reason, he didn't like the idea of sleeping away from Neji, but that would definitely hurt Ino's feelings.

"Sounds great," he answered, smiling and trying to sound natural.

"We should show you guys the place!", Kiba proposed. "You'll be really surprised".

Everybody agreed, so they started standing. In a reflex, Shikamaru extended his free arm to Neji to help him up. At the same time, the Hyuuga reached a hand too, knowing what the Nara would do, because he always did it. He clung to Shikamaru's forearm and stood up in a smooth and fluid motion.

The touch of Neji's hand over his skin made a chill run through his spine. He had been wanting to make contact with the Hyuuga since the moment they got separate, just to make sure the boy still knew he was there for him.

Tenten took Neji's arm and softly pulled the Hyuuga away from him. Ino made him follow the two friends, as they all started walking around the camp.

During the rest of the day they showed them the facilities. The cooperative work that all survivors had done to create that refuge was evident. With everything they had managed to rescue from the devastated villages, they had built tents for everyone, and prepared a large area to treat the wounded. They had brought clean earth from the mountains, because they had discovered too that the Zetsus couldn't climb, and that they spread the green moss as they passed. With that earth they had setup orchards, and had even captured some birds that they now raised for consumption. All that inside the impenetrable stone fortress. Shikamaru was more than impressed.

After the long tour they sat around the burned out campfire again, just to talk. Tenten and Neji went to a different seat, while Kiba, Choji, Ino and Sakura stayed with Shikamaru. His friends told him what had happened to them after the attack. Ino and Choji had wondered for several weeks, until they were found by Kiba and Akamaru. The dog had caught their scent and tracked them down. Choji said they were about to starve, when they ran into Gaara and his sister. The two siblings had then taken them to where the Hokage was gathering survivors.

"Temari is here?", Shikamaru asked at hearing the last part.

Ino jumped next to him. "Oh, yes!", she exclaimed. "She's out with the Hokage now, but when she gets back she'll be so happy to see you!".

His friend's words gave him a strange sensation. He had had something with Temari back in Konoha, thought it had never been a serious thing. After the attack he wondered many times about her, hoping she was okay. But after he found Neji, it happened less and less often. He had almost completely forgot about her, and that made him feel a little guilty. He glanced at the Hyuuga, sitting not far away from them, staring ahead with his white eyes and listening to Tenten talk. It was amazing how the boy had become his priority from the moment he found him.

That night, they settled around the fire with the rest of the survivors to eat. The group stayed together all the time, hanging out like the used to do in Konoha. Neji usually didn't share much with them back then, but the others accepted him like he was one of their closest friends. Shikamaru could see they were honestly happy to see him, but he also knew they were being extremely nice with him due to his condition. Even Kiba wasn't messing up with him nor trying to provoke him like he used to do.

The Hyuuga was sitting in the rock floor, just at Shikamaru's feet. The Nara unconsciously stared at his nape all the time, just paying attention in case he needed anything, like he always did. When they were finishing eating, Akamaru came to sit next to Neji and started leaking his face with his huge tongue. Instead of pushing him away, like he would have done in the past, the Hyuuga stroked the dog's head, waiting patiently for the animal to stop showing him his love. When Akamaru finally finished and lay down next to him, Neji's hair was all matted. He took off his headband, which was about to fall to the ground, and started combing his thick mane with his fingers. This brought back a memory to Shikamaru's mind.

_A hot afternoon, way more than a year ago, he was lazing on the grass next to Neji, who was meditating in silence by his side. It was a particularly windy day and the breeze ran fast between them. Shikamaru had closed his eyes and was enjoying the sensation, but at some point he had opened his lids to check on the Hyuuga. The boy was struggling with his hair, which fluttered in all directions, hitting his face. In that moment the Nara realized Neji didn't have his hair band, and that it had been that way from the moment he found him. He had probably lost it while being a prisoner._

_After looking at him fight for a little while, Shikamaru had decided to do something for him. He could have give him his own hair band, but he really hated having his hair down. So instead, he took one of his shirt's sleeves and ripped the elastic off. Then, he sat and approached to the Hyuuga,_

_"Here, this will help", he said, taking Neji's hair with his hands._

_The Hyuuga stood still, thought he seemed to hesitate. "What are you doing?", he asked, a little uncomfortable. Shikamaru imagined he never let anyone touch his hair._

_"Relax", he answered calmly. "I always tie my own hair. I think I can do this"._

_Neji didn't reply and let him work. The Nara was very careful to avoid pulling his hair and hurt him. Less than a minute latter, he had tied Neji's dark amne in a high ponytail, which fell on his back, swaying with the wind._

_"There you go", Shikamaru announced. The Hyuuga took a hand to his head, feeling with his fingers._

_"A ponytail?", he asked, not convinced. "I have never in my life wore a ponytail"._

_The Nara watched him in silence for a few seconds, admiring the boy's thin neck and his beautiful pale skin. "I think it looks great on you", he said honestly. "Besides, is the only thing I can do"._

_He saw Neji smiling a bit at his compliment, and he felt a nice and warm sensation on his chest._

Ino's voice brought him back to the real word, but he still had his eyes nailed to the Hyuuga's nape. When Neji finally gave up trying to fix his hair, he simply raised his hand in the air, holding his hair band between his fingers. Shikamaru saw the signal and acted immediately, as if it was a reflex. He leaned forward and took the hair band from Neji's hand. Then, he combed the boy's hair with his fingers, and worked quickly to tie it in a high ponytail. The Hyuuga let him do it, acting like it was the most natural thing in the word. Shikamaru didn't realize he was doing it, until he finished and straightened back in his place. He saw through the corner of his eyes that his friends were staring at him in confusion, but he decided to ignored them and act as if nothing had happened. Ahead of him, Neji didn't looked uncomfortable at all. Finally someone talked, and the strange moment was left behind.

Less than an hour later, they got up and started heading to the tents. Tenten walked in front of him, holding Neji's arm and leading the way for him. In a second, Shikamaru realized they were about to split up until the next they, something that had not happened in two years. When the two friends waved goodbye and entered their tent, he felt a strange emptiness inside.

Neji sat in the floor over his sleeping bag, after Tenten showed him where he would sleep. The tent didn't seem very big, but there was enough space for both of them. She was listening to his friend as she repeated how happy she was to see him again while she prepared to go to sleep. For a moment he lost track of her words, because his minds was focusing on Shikamaru.

They were about to sleep in separate places for the first time in two long years, and it definitely felt strange. He wondered if the boy was feeling something similar, or if it was just him. Forgetting about Tenten for a second, he focused on perceiving Shikamaru's chakra. He found it quickly, not far away from there. The boy was standing in front of his tent, speaking to who he thought was Kiba. After a few minutes, the Nara separated from his friend and walked to Neji's and Tenten's tent.

The Hyuuga heard him trying to enter, and this made Tenten let out a little scream of surprise.

"Who's there?", she asked.

"It's okay", Neji answered calmly. "It is Shikamaru".

"Oh", the girl simply replied. Seconds later he heard the Nara's voice inside the tent.

"Hey", he said. Neji tried to read his emotions in his voice, but he sounded mostly tired.

"You should knock, you know?", Tenten told him, though she didn't sound angry. "I could be naked".

"There's no door", Shikamaru answered, as he walked forward inside the tent.

"Then clap your hands or something", the girl added, and Neji heard her sitting over her sleeping bag.

"I'll keep that in mind", the Nara responded, as he walked towards the Hyuuga. "I just came to check on Neji". Slowly, Shikamaru approached and knelt in front of him. "Hey. How are you doing?", he asked in a whisper, though he probably knew the kunoichi could hear them.

He wasn't going to say it, but he was happy the Nara had took the time to check on him before going to sleep. He was really wishing he could have say goodbye to him before they got separate. "I am okay", the Hyuuga replied softly. "How are you?".

"I'm fine", the Nara answered. "You think you'll be okay by your own?".

"Hey", Tenten interrupted. "I'm here. If anything comes up, I'll help him".

Neji knew that was true, but he also knew that was not why Shikamaru was making him that question. They were about to spend a whole night away from each other, which meant they wouldn't be holding hands in their sleep for the first time in more than two years. It felt very strange, and he understood why the Nara was worried.

"I will", he answered, and smiled to convince Shikamaru.

The Nara took his hand and Neji accepted it, feeling comforted by his touch.

"If you need me I'll be right in the next tent, okay?", Shikamaru asked in a kind and sweet voice.

Neji he clenched his hand, grateful. "I know", he answered, smiling again. "Thank you".

Shikamaru caressed the back of his hand with his thumb for a few seconds, and Neji silently thanked for the affectionate touch. "Okay", the Nara said, and let out a deep breath. "I'll see you tomorrow. Rest well".

He stood up, and gently let go the Hyuuga's hand.

"You too", Neji replied. A moment later Shikamaru left the tent, leaving the two friends alone.

"Wow", Tenten said not far away from him. "He really takes care of you".

Neji smiled, still feeling the Nara's touch on his hand.

"He does", he answered, and lay down, wishing Shikamaru was there by his side.

**Hi there!**

**I'm sorry it took me a little longer to post this chapter. I had been a bit busy, but I finally managed to finish it!**

**I had a lot of problems with the redaction this time. For those who still don't know it, english is not my first language. You can probably tell by the many mistakes on the writing, but I'm doing my best to get better!**

**I'm not sure how to refer to animals in english. That's why I kept referring to Akamaru as a "he". I don't know if that's okay. If it isn't, please let me know!**

**Thank you for all your support and for following this story! I really hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Till next one! **


	7. Chapter 7

He was walking through the camp next to Choji, who had not stopped smiling since Shikamaru had appeared, thought it had already been a week since then. It was mid morning and they were heading to the meal area, because the Akimichi wanted to check if there were still leftovers from that day's breakfast, to have a second one. When the big boy suggested it, Shikamaru simply laughed, happy to have his old friend back. He walked next to Choji with his hands in his pockets, thinking in the past days.

Tenten had been glued to Neji almost all the time, which made it really hard to be alone with him. Not that he specially needed to be alone with the Hyuuga, but since they had arrived to the camp and started spending time away from each other, he felt he had to check on him once in a while, just to know he was doing okay. Despite of Tenten's almost constant presence, Shikamaru had managed to say good night to Neji every day before going to sleep, and he always took that chance to see how he was handling everything.

He didn't like talking to the Hyuuga in front of Tenten. The first night he did it because he had no choice. He really needed to speak to Neji one last time. But he preferred to avoid entering their tent, just in case the girl was there. Not for a personal problem with her, but because everytime he was close to the Hyuuga, he felt the irrepressible need to take his hand. Having those thoughts in front of other people just made him feel awkward.

That shouldn't actually be surprising. After all, he had spent so much time alone with Neji that it was understandable that he felt weird around others. He had practically forgotten how to interact with other people, even with his closest friends. The kind of communication he had with the Hyuuga was different from the one he had with them. So implicit, almost mental. Something just the two of them understood . But the hardest part wasn't really interacting with others, but interacting with Neji in front of them. He couldn't avoid the little habits he had acquired in those more than two years. Help him stand up, comb his hair, offer him his arm to walk. His body simply moved by itself, despite of what his brain said. Everytime he did one of this things, he was very aware of the suspicious glances his friends exchanged. Neji, on the other hand, did not seem worried about it, and simply acted as usual. But he couldn't see their friends faces when they observed the way they behaved with each other.

A voice coming from behind took him out of his thoughts. The two boys stopped and turned around, to see Ino running towards them, waving her hands in the air.

"There you are!", she said while shopping next to them. "I've been looking for you everywhere". She stared at Shikamaru with a smile of complicity. "Guess what?".

The Nara arched an eyebrow. "What?".

"Temari is back!", she exclaimed, giving tiny excited jumps in her place.

"Really?", Shikamaru answered. Instead of focusing on Ino's news, his brain took the information and redirected it. Anticipation grew inside him with a powerful thought. "So the Hokage is back too?".

Every day since they had arrived to the camp, he had been expecting the Godaime to return and see Neji's eyes. He was just too impatient to know if there was a cure for the boy's blindness. Ino lowered her shoulders, a little disappointed with his reaction.

"No, she is still out there taking care of some things", she said. "But Temari is here. Are you not excited to see her?".

Shikamaru felt the guilt crawling up his chest. It was amazing how fast he had forgot about Temari to focus on Neji. Ino was staring at him with questioning eyes.

"Yeah, of course", was all he managed to answer.

The girl opened her mouth to speak again, when a new voice came from behind.

"So it was true", it said. Shikamaru recognized her immediately. He turned around, expecting to see the kunoichi he remembered, but he got a big surprise. Temari was standing a few step ahead of them, with the same strong presence she had always had, but she looked considerably different. Her blond hair was much longer, and she was now wearing it loose. Her skin was tanned, probably for spending so many days out in rescue missions. She had always been beautiful, but now she looked absolutely stunning.

Despite of her appearance, the most unusual thing on her was her expression. Temari had always been a firm, rational woman, with a very strong character, and she had never been very emotional. Now, her eyes were charged of expressiveness. She gave Shikamaru a weak smile. "It is really you".

He couldn't do more than smile back. "It's good to see you, Tem", he said honestly.

This words seemed to really reach her, because her smile went wider, and her eyes became glassy. She simply stared at Shikamaru like she couldn't believe he was actually there.

After a song silence, Ino spoke again. Fortunately, because Shikamaru didn't know what else to say.

"How was the mission?", she asked. Temari walked slowly to meet with them, never removing her eyes from Shikamaru's.

"Good", she answered. "We brought back some survivors from Kirigakure. It'd be great if you guys could go help them settle".

"Of course", Ino affirmed, and the two boys nodded in agreement.

"Thanks", Temari said to the kunoichi, but she still had her eyes nailed to Shikamaru's face. "Do you think we could talk for a moment?", she asked to the Nara.

From a closer distance, she looked even more moved. Shikamaru nodded again. "Sure", he answered.

Temari turned around and started walking, expecting the Nara would follow her. The boy gave his friends one last look, and they returned encouraging smiles. He tried to do the same, but instead he could only managed a weak grin. The truth was he was actually nervous for some reason.

He walked next to Temari to a corner of the camp, with less people and less noise. The girl sat over a big rock, one of the many rudimentary seats built with the _Doton_. Shikamaru sat next to her, and simply waited.

Temari had her head down, and she didn't speak or move for a long time. He saw her joining her hands over her lap, and noticed she was shaking slightly.

"Are you okay?", he asked after a while. He was really not used to see her in this state.

The girl took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes, I'm sorry", she answered with a trembling voice. "It's just that…".

She stopped for a moment, because apparently it was too hard for her to continue. Shikamaru waited patiently. When she finally recovered and lifted her head to look at him, her eyes were fill with tears.

"Seeing you after so long, after having thought the worst", she said. "It's so…".

She stopped and lowered her head again. Shikamaru had to admit he felt touched by her reaction.

"I'm happy to see you too", he told her in a gentle voice.

This only made her shake more noticeably, and Shikamaru hesitated. What should he do? Hug her? Pat her on the back? Take her hand? He had no idea why, but he felt like there was an invisible barrier that stopped him from approaching to her. He was starting to panic at the strange sensation, when Temari spoke again.

"I wished for so long that you were okay, and to see you again". Her voice was choked, and she was breathing fast. "After all the terrible things that happened, to think that maybe you were also dead… I was just... too horrible".

Shikamaru didn't know what to do. He had never seen Temari like this, so sensible and fragile, speaking openly about her feelings. He couldn't imagine how hard it had been for her to survive, and the horrors she had probably experienced. That only made him feel worse, and the guilt grew more inside his chest. Temari had spent all that time wishing he was okay, hoping to someday find him alive. And of course he also wanted her to be safe, but during the last years he had focused so much in helping Neji adapt, and in adapting to him, that he had pretty much stopped wondering about others. Sometimes memories assaulted him and he remembered happy moments of his past, but they were always of his friends or his parents. Next to him, Temari covered her face with her hands and cried silently.

Shikamaru realized he had to do something or he would look like a heartless bastard. He lifted a hand and put it over the girl's shoulder.

"Calm down", he said softly, wishing she would stop crying. "I'm okay, see? You don't have to worry about that anymore. Everything is fine".

Temari tried to recover her normal breathing and wiped her tears with her hands. Then she lifted her head and stared directly into Shikamaru's eyes.

"Did you think of me too?", she asked. Her deep green eyes were full of tears.

Shikamaru couldn't bare the idea of hurting her. "Of course", he answered.

Finally, Temari smiled. The Nara was so relieved she wasn't crying anymore. Things were going much better. But in that moment, they got much worse. Temari leaned closer, searching for his lips.

A ring of alarm sounded in his head, sending a red warning through his neurons. A million thoughts exploited in all directions. She was trying to kiss him. She wanted to kiss him, right there, right now. Why didn't he want it? He had done it before, many times. And he had liked it. Why did he feel like he couldn't do it now? Neji's face came to his mind, erasing all other thoughts, and he panicked.

Before Temari's lips touched his, he moved his head back. The girl stopped approaching and stared at him with confusion. Her expression made Shikamaru feel like the meanest person in the word.

"What's wrong?", the girl asked, looking honestly lost.

Shikamaru opened his mouth, but nothing came out. When Temari frowned softly, trying to understand the situation, he realized he needed to give her an explanation. He stuttered a couple of times, not sure of what to say. "I, umm…", he tried to start. "Look, I also wanted you to be okay, and to see you safe. And I'm so happy and relieved you're fine. But…"

_But…_ He didn't know how to continue. _This is the part where you tell her what's going on, genius_, a voice in his head said. _And what's going on?!_, he asked desperately to the voice. Unfortunately there was no answer.

Temari was now frowning deeply. "But what?", she questioned.

Shikamaru realized he still had a hand on her shoulder, so he removed it slowly, while he thought about something. "It's just that… I don't know...", he stammered. "Everything has changed so suddenly. Maybe... I am still assimilating that you guys are all okay, and this madness that Madara is alive and behind all this. Maybe... I need a bit of time to get use to all this".

Temari leaned her head to a side, like he was trying to understand Shikamaru's explanation.

"Maybe?", she repeated. "I don't understand. Don't you care about me anymore?".

That was like an arrow to the heart, and it made Shikamaru feel like a compleate ashole. "Of course I care about you".

Temari shrugged, thinking of other possible explanations to why the Nara wouldn't want to kiss her. "What is it then? Don't you find me attractive now?".

Shikamaru shook his head, feeling cornered. "What? No. I think you look more beautiful than ever".

Temari frowned at the contradictory situation. "Then what is the problem?".

He really didn't want to hurt her, but he couldn't lie to her either.

"Listen", he said, trying to be gentle. "I know we had something once. And I still think you're fantastic. But after all that has happened, I don't know, all the things that changed…".

"What things?", Temari asked.

Shikamaru extended his arms. "Well, everything. Everyone's life. In mine, other things became more important, and I couldn't stop to think about the past... Not that I forgot about you", he clarified, just in case she took it that way. "I wanted you to be okay. But after all this time, now I…". He hesitated. Temari was staring at him with her green glassy eyes fill with questions. He didn't want to tell her this, but he had to say the truth. "I think... I don't feel that way towards you anymore".

She stared at him black for a few seconds. Then, she lowered her eyes to Shikamaru's chest, trying to assimilate his words. Her expression didn't change for a long time. Suddenly, she pressed her lips and closed her eyes, frowning again. This time she looked really hurted.

"Tem…", Shikamaru whispered, slowly lifting his hand to touch her's. "I'm sorry…"

But Temari rejected the contact. She moved away and turned her head to a side, hiding her face. He could see her body shaking again, but now because of another kind of emotion. She covered her mouth, holding back a moan of sadness.

Shikamaru had never seen her like this, and it was definitely disturbing. He felt like shit.

"I can't believe this", Temari finally said, almost choking. "I waited so long to see you, and…".

She stopped talking because she couldn't contain her tears anymore.

"Tem…", Shikamaru tried again, but the girl stood up before he could continue.

"Excuse me…", she whispered with sorrow, and then ran away, covering her face and getting lost among people.

He was walking arm in arm with Tenten over the high walls of the camp. The girl had insisted in taking him there, even though he couldn't enjoy the view. They stopped and leaned on the stone railing, with their faces towards the crowd below them.

"I like standing here and watch all we have achieved after so much suffering", she told him. "All the survivors gave their best to overcome the tragedy, and they worked hard to help each other. Even though I don't know most of them, I can't help to feel proud of us all".

Neji smiled, happy to know that his friends had been in good company during those hard years. He felt the wind stroking his face, and enjoyed the sensation in silence. He had to admit the sound of people talking animatedly at his feet was comforting.

"Oh, look at that", Tenten said, ending the silence. Neji was about to joke about the fact that he actually couldn't, but the girl spoke again. "Its Shikamaru and Temari".

A strange sensation traveled down Neji's body. He didn't understand it, and it was something completely unknown for him. But he definitely didn't like it. "So what?", he said, acting like he didn't care about what the Nara could be doing with Temari.

"They used to date or something, right?", his friend asked. The truth was, he didn't know. He remembered hearing Ino say that there was something between them back in Konoha, but in all the time he had spent alone with Shikamaru, the boy hadn't mentioned her once.

"I do not know", he answered. "Why do you care?".

"I want to see if they get back together", the girl replied, and Neji could feel her leaning more against the railing next to him.

"Why do you want to know that?", the Hyuuga questioned, not comfortable with her curiosity.

"Well, to be the first to know it", Tenten admitted, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Oh! She's going to kiss him! That is so sweet...".

"Tenten, this is spying", Neji said, feeling his heart beating hard against his chest. For some reason he didn't want to analyze, he couldn't bare the image if Shikamaru kissing Temari. "Let's just go".

But Tenten didn't answered right away. In one hand he really wanted to know what had happened, but at the same time he was really scared of it.

"That's weird", Tenten finally said.

"What?", Neji asked. The question escaped from his mouth before he could stop himself.

"He moved away", the kunoichi explained. "Like, rejecting the kiss".

Neji's heart almost stopped. He knew Temari was a beautiful woman, or at least he remembered her that way. Not many men would refuse a kiss from her.

"I don't know what he's saying", Tenten continued relating. "But it doesn't look like he wants to kiss her. Kami, what's wrong with that nerd? Oh, she looks so sad now. Oh no, she runs away crying! Kami, this is so depressing".

Neji didn't know how to feel. He was sorry for the girl, but at the same time he was relieved that Shikamaru hadn't kiss her back. He lowered his head, feeling overwhelmed and confused.

Shikamaru stood up and walked forward, thinking that he had to find Temari and fix the situation. She had disappeared fast, and he had no idea where she had gone. He ventured into the crowd, looking for her. But instead, he ran into Kiba, who was looking at him with concern.

"Dude, what happened?", the boy asked approaching to him, followed by Akamaru. "I just saw Temari running away from you and crying. Did you just turned her down?".

"I…", the Nara hesitated. "I think so".

"Man, what is wrong with you?", the Inuzuka questioned, looking at him as if he was insane. "She is smoking hot!".

"I know…", Shikamaru answered, taking a hand to his face to rub his eyes.

"Then what the hell?!", Kiba insisted.

"I don't know!", was all Shikamaru could say. At it was true, because he had no idea of what was going on with him.

In that moment, Ino appeared behind Kiba and looked at him with a huge smile.

"And?", she asked. "How did it go with Temari?".

Shikamaru didn't even know how to start telling her what he had just done. The girl had always wanted him to be with Temari, and her eyes were full with ilusion.

"This idiot just turned her down", Kiba answered for him. Shikamaru stared at him with annoyance, but the boy simply shrugged. "You did".

"What?!", Ino exclaimed. "Why?!"

He wasn't sure of how to respond to that, so he simply ignored the question. "I should go look for her", he said. "She looked very upset".

Ino stared at him with a frustrated expression. "Of course she was upset. Shikamaru..." She made a short pause before continuing. "Her brother Kankuro died in Sunagakure's attack. She couldn't do anything to help him, and she suffered a lot because of that".

Ino's words felt like a stab on the chest, a stab he definitely deserved. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, feeling like a despicable rat.

"Fuck", Shikamaru spat. "I have to go find her".

He tried to walk pass them, but the blond kunoichi took his arm and stopped him. "You better give her a bot of time", she advised.

"Yeah, I doubt she wants to see you now", Kiba agreed. Shikamaru frowned at him once more, but the boy was speaking the truth. "I'm sorry, dude", the Inuzuka said, putting a comforting hand over his shoulder".

Later that day, Neji was sitting over his sleeping bag, combing his hair with his fingers. He was waiting for Tenten to come back to the tent, but the girl would probably take a while, because she was surly gossiping with her friends about what she had seen that afternoon.

Even though he kept trying to get distracted, Neji couldn't stop thinking about Shikamaru. He wondered if the Nara would tell him what had happened with Temari, or if he would just keep it to himself. They usually talked about everything, but because during the last years it had only been the two of them, there hadn't been much to say that the other didn't already know. He was immersed in this thoughts when he felt Shikamaru's unmistakable chakra approaching to the tent.

A few seconds later, he heard the Nara entering, and he turned his head in the boy's direction.

"Hey", Shikamaru whispered, walking towards him. His voice sounded extremely tired. "How are you doing?"

"Fine", the Hyuuga answered. "How are you?".

Shikamaru got closer slowly. "Umm, I'm not sure", he responded.

"What is wrong?", he asked softly.

The Nara seemed to hesitate for a few seconds. Then he sat over the sleeping bag, right in front of Neji.

"Temari came back today", Shikamaru explained. "She wanted to talk to me".

Neji waited, expecting the Nara to continue. He felt happy that the boy had decided to talk to him about what was worrying him, despite of having his old friends back now to do it. Shikamaru didn't speak for a while, so Neji did. "What did she say?".

"Well…", the younger boy started. "She said she spent all this time hoping I was okay, and expecting to see me again". He sounded extremely sad. "And… She tried to kiss me".

Neji didn't answer right away. Of course he already knew that, but he didn't want to confess to Shikamaru that Tenten had been spying on them. "Oh", he said after a little while. "And?".

The Nara let out a deep, exhausted breath. "I turned her down", he finally admitted.

"Oh", Neji repeated. He wasn't sure of how to comfort him, but he kept talking in the sweetest tone he could managed, trying to make him feel better. "You did not want to kiss her?".

Shikamaru hesitated again. "Well, I don't know", he answered. "I mean, of course I care about her and all that. But…".

Neji could tell he was confused. The anguish in his voice was very clear to him. "Was she angry?", he asked.

"A bit, I guess", Shikamaru answered. "But she looked mostly sad. Gods, I feel like an ashole".

The Hyuuga reached a hand towards him and touched his arm softly. "Calm down. I am sure she will be okay", he said reassuringly. Shikamaru accepted the contact and exhaled tiredly again. "Were you two dating back in Konoha?".

"No exactly", the Nara replied. This time he sounded suddenly uncomfortable, something which never happened around Neji. "We just… Slept together a few times", he confessed. "But we weren't dating".

Those words made a horrible sensation travel through Neji's body. If picturing Shikamaru kissing Temari had felt bad for him, thinking about him having sex with her was much worst. He remembered he was supposed to help the Nara, and tried to block those thoughts.

"But you liked her back then, right?", he asked.

"Yeah…", the Nara answered.

For some reason, Neji was afraid of asking the next question. But he did it anyway. "And now?"

Shikamaru sighed, and the Hyuuga knew he was having an internal fight with his feelings. He took a long time considering the question, but he finally answered. "I think I don't".

Neji felt relieved, though he tried his best to not show it. "Why?", he asked in a soft whisper.

"I don't know", the Nara replied, and he really sounded confused and troubled. "Maybe I changed. Because, that's possible, right? I mean, you definitely changed. You're nothing like you were in Konoha, so serious and,... unapproachable...". He stopped for a moment, like he was reflecting about his own words. "Or maybe you have always been this way, and I just hadn't realized".

Neji knew that was wrong. He was nothing like he had been in Konoha. After all he had lived, and after spending so much time alone with the Nara, he felt like a completely different person. In the past he would have never accepted a relationship so intimate like the one he had with Shikamaru, neither from him nor from anyone. He had always felt proud of being self-sufficient, and prefered keeping people away, because he thought he didn't need anyone but himself. After the Nara found him, he discovered he actually liked having someone who would be there for him unconditionally, and now he simply couldn't imagine his life without him. He squeezed Shikamaru's arm with his hand. "No", he answered with a smile. "I think I have changed too".

The Nara put a hand over his, returning the affectionate touch. He exhaled deeply again, but this time he sounded relieved. "Thanks", he whispered, and Neji knew he was smiling too.

**Well hello there!**

**Two updates in one day? I bet no one expected that! Well neither did I!**

**Many dialogues in this chapter, I hope you guys don't mind about that. Also for Temari fans, I'm so sorry for breaking her heart like that. I like her character but I also like the drama of the whole situation. Next chapter will have more action.**

**Thank you very much for reading this story! It makes me so happy to know that there are people you liked one of my works so much they decided to read everything I write. I can't express how much I appreciate that!**

**If you liked this update please let me know! ^^**


	8. Chapter 8

Shikamaru took a long sip of hot tea. He really would have prefered it to be coffee, but he wasn't going to say it. Just having tea was a blessing, and everyone had worked so hard in that camp to get to where they were now, that he wouldn't dare to say something negative about anything they gave him. He looked over his cup and saw Neji, sitting in the rocky ground in front of him, drinking his tea too. The deep scars around the boy's eyes shined with the morning sun.

Next to him, Choji let out a happy exhalation.

"Aaaah!", he exclaimed. "Breakfast is the most important part of the day!".

Shikamaru smiled to him, glad to have his old friend at his side again. They had woke up not long ago, and were now having breakfast together. Tenten was with them, talking relaxedly with Neji as they drink their tea.

That was nice, Shikamaru thought. Being able to wake up and hang out with his friends, like he used to do. Though at the same time he missed waking up next to Neji, feeling the Hyuuga's hand on his. He remembered the way the boy used to squeeze his fingers as he started to wake up. The memory made Shikamaru's feel a little empty inside.

In that moment, Ino approached to them with a bright smile.

"Good moooorning!", she greeted them. Putting her hands on her hips, she studied her friend's faces. "Are you guys up to a mission today? We need a good group to carry provisions".

Tenten started clapping her hands and Choji smiled broadly. They all liked going out on missions now, because the life inside the camp was sometimes pretty boring. Shikamaru knew Neji would want to go too, so he just shrugged and nodded to his friends.

"Neji, it is okay if you want to stay", Ino said, staring at the Hyuuga with compassionate eyes. "We could run into Zetsus' in the way, and we know you can't fight anymore…", she added awkwardly. She blushed a little, obviously uncomfortable. "Not that there's anything wrong with that. We totally understand".

Neji raised his eyebrows, but he stayed cool. "I can handle it", he answered firmly.

Tenten put a hand on his shoulder. "Neji, it's okay, really", she told him. "You don't have to proof anything to us".

Neji frowned a little, and Shikamaru feared he was about to lose his temper. He decided to intervene.

"He's fine", he said, waving a hand in the air to show everything was okay. "He can handle all the Zetsus you want".

Neji smiled at his words and nodded energetically. "I certainly do", he affirmed.

"Alright!", Ino exclaimed, clapping her hands once. "Go get ready to leave, then!".

They returned to the tents to get their things. Shikamaru took his backpack and put it on. He wouldn't even consider going out without it, and he knew Neji would bring the _bō_. Those were the only two thing they needed to fight against enemies. When they meet again in the same point, he saw the Hyuuga had the weapon on his hand and couldn't help to smile.

Ino was waiting for them, so when they were finally all back together, she turned around to lead them.

"Let's go!", she exclaimed. "Temari is waiting for us".

Shikamaru's heart jumped. _Fuck_, he thought. During the last week he had tried to talk with Temari to fix things with her, but the girl was very good at avoiding him. He was pretty sure she didn't want to see him, so he started considering staying out of the mission. But then he remembered Neji. He knew it was important to the Hyuuga to show the rest of the survivors that he could still fight, and he couldn't leave him alone. If he stayed, he had no way of knowing if the boy was okay.

He was still hesitating, when Neji approached and took his arm. Shikamaru stared at him and saw a soft, encouraging smile. Of course, he had realized he was having second thoughts about the mission because of Temari, and was trying to show his support. Shikamaru was glad for the friendly contact, so he touched Neji's hand with his. Then, they started walking behind their friends, heading to the gate.

In the moment they reached the meating point he saw Temari, shouting orders to the shinobis that surrounded her. Kiba and Akamaru were there too. They approached to the group and stopped. The girl met Shikamaru's eyes once, and then pretended he didn't existed.

"Finally, you're here", she said dryly. "We leave in ten". Then, she turned around and started discussing the route with another woman.

Shikamaru knew it was better to make peace before starting the trip, so he should probably try to do it now. He touched Neji's hand again to call his attention.

"I'll be right back", he whispered to him.

The Hyuuga squeezed his arm one last time. "Good luck", he answered, because he obviously knew he was going to try talk to Temari.

Shikamaru walked away from his comforting touch and approached to the girl. He stood behind her and coughed softly. Temari threw him a glare from over her shoulder.

"Hey, Tem...?", he started speaking, feeling extremely nervous. He knew the girl probably hated him now. "Can I talk to you for a second?".

She made a sign to the other woman to dismiss her, and then started folding her map, without turning around. "There is nothing to talk about", she replied coldly.

Shikamaru realized it was going to be very hard. "Please", he insisted. "I want to apologize".

The girl finally turned, though she didn't look at him. She simply focused on putting the map on her backpack.

"You don't need to apologize", she said. "You didn't do anything wrong. You simply don't have any feelings for me anymore. I can accept that". She tried so sound cool, but Shikamaru could see she was still angry. "Besides, I have more important things to care about, and I can't let a little amorous deception distract me". Then, she raised her stare and looked at the Nara with a very sober and firm expression. "There are worse things in life. Now just focus on the mission".

After saying those words, she turned around and started yelling orders again. Shikamaru returned with his friends with his head down and a bitter taste on his mouth.

"How did it go?", Neji asked softly to him.

"Not so well…", he answered.

In that moment, Temari asked to the guards to open the big gate. The earth started trembling, and he knew it was time to go. He extended his arm to Neji, who took it softly, and then they started walking with the rest of the team.

The mission was simple: travel to one of the control points that the survivors had established and carry provisions for the ten shinobis settled there. The team was composed of fifteen members, including the captain, Temari. It was a large number for such a simple mission, but when there were so many chances of running into Zetsus' in the way, it was better to count with a lot of people. Besides, that way all of them could take turns to drag the small carts where they were carrying the supplies. Doing this, nobody got tired, leaving them all prepared for a possible fight.

They walked during the whole day. Fortunately they didn't run into enemies, but they were still one day away from their destination. In the moment the sun started to descend, Temari ordered to stop and settle a camp. Traveling during the night was just too dangerous.

Some members of the team started preparing the sleeping bags, Shikamaru among them. They had left the tents in the camp so as not to carry more weight, meaning they would sleep in the open. Temari shouted orders again and a few ninjas made a big circle around the others to watch the perimeter while they worked.

Shikamaru knew perfectly that no tents meant no separation between the sleeping bags. For at least one night, he had a tiny chance of sleeping next to Neji.

He looked up. The sky was just beginning to get dark. There would be no moon that night. He wondered how much would be the light coming from the stars. In complete darkness, if he got the change to sleep next to Neji, maybe he would be able to take his hand without anyone noticing it. Even if it was just for a few seconds, he felt he needed to do it.

The sky started turning pink. Soon it would change to orange, and then to a bright red. Shikamaru had seen many sunsets over the past years, while he wondered around deserts lands with Neji. He remembered one in particular.

_The two boys were sitting near the edge of a high cliff. They could see everything from there, or at least Shikamaru could. He was leaning against the solid mountain staring at Neji, who had his legs crossed and his back straight like always. The boy was watching directly to the sun, and the orange light shone on his pale skin, making it look a golden color. Even despite of the scars around his eyes, the Hyuuga had never stopped being beautiful._

_While he was lost in this thoughts, he saw Neji letting out a deep breath. He looked slightly sad. Shikamaru needed to know what was worrying him so he could try to fix it, like he always did._

"_Is there anything wrong?", he asked softly. _

_Neji pursed his lips for a brief moment. Shikamaru knew that expression: frustration. It happened when he started thinking about all the things he couldn't do because of his blindness. When the Hyuuga opened his mouth to start talking, Shikamaru already knew what he was going to say. _

"_It is just that…", Neji hesitated. He pursed his lips one more time, and the Nara couldn't held back a smile at the cute gesture. For the millionth time, he was glad the boy couldn't see him. "I wish I could see the sunset", Neji finally said. "It must look beautiful"._

_Shikamaru knew he had to take Neji away from that kind of thoughts. He straightened to be right next to que Hyuuga. "Actually it's not that great", he said. "Just the same lame sunset you've already seen hundreds of times"._

_Neji's mouth curved into a barely there smile. "Right", he answered ironically._

"_Seriously", Shikamaru insisted. "It's even kind of ugly. So... orange. It's disgusting". The Hyuuga laughed at this last words, and his heart thanked for the sound. He kept joking. "Yeah, it's definitely the worst sunset ever. Trust me, you're not missing anything"._

The melody of Neji's laugh danced inside his ears. He missed those moments so much. Shikamaru lowered his eyes to search for the Hyuuga, and found him working with the others. He wished he could walk towards him and take his had right there. He knew he couldn't, but he was definitely going to try that night.

They ate cold food in the darkness, speaking in whispers to avoid attracting the attention of enemies. They would take turns to watch, and Shikamaru and Neji were in the last two groups. That meant they could go to sleep now.

There were five ninjas surrounding them, though they were all focused in the surroundings. Temari was circling around making sure everyone was in place. Shikamaru walked with his friends to the sleeping bags and got ready to lay down. While he took of his sandals, he made sure of placing himself next to Neji, while Tenten choose the other spot next to the boy. Ino and Choji lay down next to the Nara, and no one seemed to think that he had chosen that place on purpose.

He got inside the sleeping bag and covered himself with it. At his side, Neji was doing the same. Shikamaru lay down staring at the sky, still trying to determine if the darkness was deep enough. But before he could make a decision, Neji made it for him. Shikamaru felt the Hyuuga's fingers touching his wrist, searching for him. He met his hand immediately, taking it softly in his. If Neji wanted to hold hands with him, he didn't care if somebody saw them. He would never, ever reject the Hyuuga's touch. He simply couldn't do it. And also, he didn't want to.

Short hours later a sudden pain on his shoulder woke him up. He opened his eyes, startled, and looked up. He saw the silhouette of Kiba standing at his side and looking down at him, though he couldn't see his face.

"It's your turn to watch", the Inuzuka said in a hard tone. "Get up". A second later, he disappeared.

Shikamaru watched him go. Had he just kick him in the shoulder to wake him up? That sounded a bit rude, even for Kiba. He felt movement next to him and turned his head.

Neji had woken up too, and he was rubbing his eyes and squeezing his hand to get his attention. "What happened?", he asked with a sleepy voice.

Shikamaru's heart turn into ice. Had Kiba seen them holding hands? Could he be mad about it? He shook his head, to terrified of the idea to think about it. "Nothing", he said to Neji. "It's my turn to watch. Get back to sleep".

The Hyuuga let out a tired groan and closed his eyes again. Shikamaru had to free his hand, because the boy had not let him go. He stood up and walked to his position, looking for Kiba in the darkness, but he didn't found him. He prayed the boy hadn't seen anything.

The next day they walked from morning to afternoon, stopping briefly to take a little rest. Shikamaru realized how much the survivors had explore in those years, and imagined they had probably established many control points like the one they were heading to. He stood next to Neji all the time, just to make sure of being there if the boy needed him, though he was doing really good walking alone with the _bō_.

After long, exhausting hours, Shikamaru finally saw something on the horizon. At first he thought it was a house of some sort, but then he realized it was actually a boat. A pretty big and apparently strong boat. It was rocking gently on the shore of a huge lake.

"Where did you get that thing from?", Shikamaru asked to his friends as they approached to the ship.

"We made it!", Ino answered with a huge smile. "Well, actually Choji did almost all the work".

Shikamaru turned around to look at his friend. "Really?", he asked impressed. Choji just shrugged and blushed, embarrassed. "It looks awesome, buddy".

The Akimichi smiled broadly and walked proudly towards the boat.

Temari started yelling instructions. A few shinobis jumped to the ship and sat behind to the four oars. Now it was time for the rest of them to get on the boat. When Shikamaru's turn came, he unconsciously took Neji by the wrist. It was so evident for him that he had to help the Hyuuga get in and find a seat. The older boy didn't reacted at all, and simply let Shikamaru guide him to the boat. Once the Nara was in, he held Neji's hand as the boy entered too. Then, he help the Hyuuga walk among the others and took him to the front. They sat together at the bow. After everyone was settled, the boat started moving.

It was a very pleasant trip. Shikamaru looked around and saw rows and rows of huge trees surrounding the coast. The sun was just starting to descend, and its light was reflected in the leaves and in the calm water. It was a very beautiful sight, and the Nara realized everybody was enjoying it. Even the rowers, who watched the surroundings with dreamy eyes. Shikamaru turned to check on Neji, and found him watching straight ahead, like always.

He felt bad for the boy. Neji had completely overcome the fact of being blind, but he still couldn't enjoy a nice view like that one. Shikamaru wished so many times he could give him his own eyes, but that was impossible. An idea came to his mind, and he reached out to take the Hyuuga's hand again.

Neji didn't flinch at the contact, and let Shikamaru guide his hand even if he didn't knew why he was doing it for. The Nara brought the older ninja's hand to the water, and made him sink the tip of his fingers in it. Neji widened his eyes at the strange sensation. The stream flowed gently between his fingers, and he smiled. Shikamaru smiled as well, happy to see that the Hyuuga liked feeling the water on his hand, probably because it was almost as if he could see it. He let go Neji's hand, and the Hyuuga sank it a bit deeper into the stream. He played with his fingers inside the water, just enjoying the sensation. Shikamaru reclined on his seat with a grin of satisfaction.

But his expression was wiped right away when he saw his friends faces, staring at him with questioning eyes. Even Temari was looking at him with suspicion. This got him very uncomfortable, and he felt his face starting to warm up. Was the way he behave with Neji really that weird? He knew he had to reduce the contact with the Hyuuga as much as he could, but most of the times his body just moved alone. Shikamaru swallowed hard and looked away, praying no one would make any awkward comment.

They finally reached the other edge of the lake. By crossing through the water hey had shortened the trip. On foot it would have taken them another full day. All the members of the team got off the boat. Shikamaru helped Neji again, this time taking the _bō _and hooking it to his backpack so the Hyuuga could move freely for a bit. They started walking to the control point, following Temari. Short minutes later, Shikamaru saw a tall construction where a few shinobis were watching the perimeter.

As soon as they reached the control point, ten ninjas approached to them and helped them unloading the carts that carried the supplies. While they worked, everybody talked relaxedly.

When they were about to finish Shikamaru approached to Neji, just to see how he was doing. But in the moment he got near the Hyuuga, he saw the boy was frowning deeply. Before he could ask him what was going on, the older ninja talked to him.

"There is something wrong", he said, staring ahead with his white eyes.

Shikamaru got closer. "What is it?", he asked.

Neji moved his feet, feeling the ground behind him. "The earth…", he whispered. "Is trembling".

"What?", Shikamaru questioned in confusion. He tried to feel what Neji was feeling, but he got nothing. Anyway, he knew the Hyuuga's senses were now more developed, so he surely could detect things he couldn't.

"It is getting stronger", Neji said, looking absolutely convinced. Shikamaru stared at the ground, trying to understand. It didn't took him long, because he remembered the deep cracks in the earth from where the Zetsus had came. Suddenly, he felt a slight tremor under his feet as well. His heart gave a jump, and he knew he had to alert the rest of the team.

"ZETSUS ARE COMING!", he yelled. In a reflex, he took Neji's wrist to keep him by his side. If the earth started cracking in that moment, he wouldn't let it separate them.

"What?", a few shinobis asked, as they looked around searching for the enemies. The ground was now shaking evidently.

"SPREAD OUT!", Shikamaru screamed again, just one second before a big fissure started opening in the ground. He pulled from Neji's arm to get him away from that place.

Countless of those white creatures began to emerge from the earth. This time nobody panicked, because they were all shinobis, and they were ready for any possible confrontation. With great courage, they started fighting the fierce beasts. When a ruthless Zetsu approached to them, Shikamaru had to let go Neji's wrist and push him to a side.

He knew he couldn't let the boy defenseless. The Hyuuga could still use his deathly Gentle Fist, but it was better to avoid melee fights with those things. Shikamaru took his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud, penetrating whistle, while he unhooked the _bō _trom his backpack. Neji straightened at hearing it, and lifted his hand in the air. The Nara threw the weapon on his direction, knowing that the Hyuuga would hear the tiny bells even despite of the noise. Neji caught the _bō _without difficulty, just in time to turn around and hit a Zetsu on the head with it, sending him down.

Now that the boy had his weapon, Shikamaru needed to take care of himself. As fast as he could, he took a kunai from his backpack, because it was the only weapon he had. After fighting so many times against Zetsus, he knew exactly where he had to strike to kill them with one single stab. He focused on aiming at the soft area behind their necks, and managed to knock down two of them. Near him, Neji was hitting them with the _bō, _managing to keep the creatures away from them, but they kept approaching.

Even though they managed to defeated many of them, they kept coming from the ground. Shikamaru turned around searching for their capitan, and saw Temaril fighting fiercely with her huge fan. She seemed to realize they were being outnumbered, because she gave the order to retreat to the nearest trees. The team started running, followed by the bloodthirsty monsters.

Shikamaru reached a tall tree and climbed it quickly. He sat on a thick branched and took his fingers to his mouth, to emit another loud and penetrating whistle. He saw Neji hearing the signal and approaching to the same tree. Already knowing the procedure, the Hyuuga raised the _bō _with one hand so Shikamaru could grab it. The younger boy did, and lifted Neji up to sit him between his thighs, like he had done many times in the past. He surrounded the Hyuuga's waist with one arm, and took the _bō _with his free hand, while the older boy clung to his knees. The whole team was now safe in the trees, but the Zetsus were still circling around, trying uselessly to reach them. Shikamaru looked at the deep crack on the ground, and noticed they had now stop coming.

Temari shouted orders not far away and the archers put themselves in position. With amazing skill, they started shooting arrows to the creatures, eliminating them slowly.

_How did they know where to emerge from the earth?_, Shikamaru thought. If Madara was sending them, could he somehow tell them what their position was? Maybe the man could see everything at all time, somehow. That sounded very extreme, though it was possible. But even if that was the case, how did he manage to communicate that information to the Zetsus? Those creatures only seemed able to communicate with each other.

_Then how did they know where the control point was?_, Shikamaru asked himself again. A tiny voice inside his head told him that maybe they didn't. The crack was not right under the watchtower, but in the exact point where they had been working. That was just to precise. But if the Zetsus could tell were there was people, why hadn't they came from the ground while he was traveling with the Hyuuga, or during that same trip? He felt Neji's hands squeezing his knees, and remembered what he boy had said. That the earth was trembling. He had felt it himself, just as the day the Zetsus invaded Konoha. Right before a crack opened, strong vibrations started shaking the ground.

Vibrations… That was how Neji had perceived the Zetsus coming, by the vibrations he felt coming from below. Maybe the creatures could feel the vibrations from above too. That would explain why he and the Hyuuga hadn't been attacked in the past, because two people probably didn't produce much vibrations. The Zetsus had attacked when they joined the other ten ninjas in the control point, while they were moving the carts around and unloading heavy stuff. Maybe that had caused more vibrations, and revealed their exact position. That would explain why they didn't attack the camp, because the thick rocky ground didn't let them hear the people steps. And it would also explain why they had stop coming out of the ground when all the shinobis climbed to the trees.

Under his feet, the Zetsus were now dead. The archers had managed to eliminate them all. Temari ordered to return to the ground, and Shikamaru's skin bristled. If they were all together down there again, more creatures would know where they were. He saw a few ninjas starting to descend from the other trees.

"NO!", the Nara screamed, trying to stop them. "DON'T GET DOWN!".

Everybody stopped and and turned to look at him.

"We have to get back to the camp", Temari answered loudly to him. "And I give the orders here. Everybody down!".

"NO!", Shikamaru screamed again. "THEY CAN HEAR US THROUGH THE GROUND!".

The shinobis exchanged looks, now hesitating. "What?", Ino asked from a near branched.

Trying to sound clear, the Nara started explaining his theory in a very loud voice, so everybody, and especially Temari, could hear him. The girl was watching him with a deep frown, but as he kept going, she seemed to start considering his words. "We are too many now. If we get down all together more of those things will detect us", he concluded, relieved at seeing that the team was listening to him.

There was a brief discussion. The shinobis started circling his theory, and with each opinion, they all started to think it made a lot of sense. Shikamaru kept silent, waiting for the capitan to make a decision. He knew the girl was mad at him, and she probably didn't want to take advices from him. The Nara realized his heart was beating fast with the anticipation. In than moment, Neji squeezed his tights softly with his fingers. He could probably feel Shikamaru's fast heartbeats against his back, and was trying to calm him down. The younger boy tightened his grip on the Hyuuga's thin waist, returning the gesture.

After a little while, Temari finally spoke. A few ninjas would get down first with the ones who stayed at the control point to help them carry the last supplies that had not fallen down the big crack when the Zetsus came out. Then, they would spread out a little, and in that moment the team which was returning to the camp would get together to leave. That way they would avoid being all together in the same place.

The sky was now almost completely dark, but Temari decided they couldn't wait for the morning. If the Zetsus could feel their vibrations, it was better to stay in low numbers. Following her lead, the team started heading to the boat to cross the lake again.

When they got back to the survivor's refugee, everybody went right to their tents to sleep, except for Ino, who headed to check on Sakura in the nursing, and Choji, who went to see if he could get some leftovers to eat. Shikamaru lay down over his sleeping bag, feeling he could sleep for days. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the caml, but suddenly the sound of somebody at the tent's door made him open them again. He turned his head and saw Kiba stepping in, searching around. When the Inuzuka realized he was there, he stopped.

"Oh", he said, frowning a little. "Sorry, I was looking for Ino".

"She's with Sakura in the nursing", Shikamaru answered, sitting up.

Kiba nodded, and started turning around. "Right. I'll go then", he responded, sounding too dry for his usual character.

"Wait!", the Nara hurried to stop him as he stood up. Kiba did and stared at him from over his shoulder. The tension in the air was evident. Shikamaru knew the Inuzuka was being cold with him, and he needed to be okay with the boy. They had always been very good friends, after all. "Is there something wrong, man?", he asked.

Kiba shook his head shortly. "No", he answered. "Why?".

Shikamaru took a step forward. "I don't know", he said. "I kinda have the feeling you're mad with me or something". Kiba hesitated, and the Nara could see him clenching his fists. "C'mon, what is it?".

The Inuzuka frowned again, and this time he turned around to be face to face with him. After a few seconds, he lifted his head and stared at Shikamaru with distrust.

"What's going on between Hyuuga and you?", he asked in a hard voice.

The Nara felt his heart jump, and got suddenly nervous. That was a very complicated question, and lately he had been fearing someone would ask it to him. But he shouldn't feel that way, because there was nothing going on between Neji and him. Why did he feel caught between a rock and a hard place, then?. He tried to stay cool. "What do you mean?", he questioned.

Kiba clicked his tongue, still frowning. "It's... weird", he answered. "You touch a lot. Like, all the time. And what the hell is this?". He made a very creepy face, twisting his mouth into a strange smile and opening his eyes like he was an amused child.

Shikamaru moved his head back and arched an eyebrow. "I don't know. What the hell is that?".

Kiba returned to his previous annoyed expression. "That's you, when you're staring at him!", he spat. "You put on this creepy face and smile like a lunatic. And you always do it. Even when he's talking to you, you just stare at him with what weird look".

Shikamaru shook his head, a little offended by Kiba's impression of him, but he thought he knew what the boy meant. "I don't do that…", he whispered. "And I just stare at him because…". he hesitated. "I don't know, I got used to do it, because he can't see me so it doesn't get awkward. But it doesn't mean anything".

"I don't know, dude", Kiba answered. "The way you act with him, is not normal".

He knew he had to dissipate those suppositions about him and Neji, so he took another step towards the Inuzuka. "I understand it may look a bit weird", he said. "But it's only because we spent a lot of time alone, just the two of us, so we got pretty close. But there is nothing between us. We're just friends".

Kiba pursed his lips and stared at him with a very serious expression. "You sleep holding hands", he growled.

A chill ran down Shikamaru's spine. So he had seen them holding hands that other night. The Nara wanted to kick himself for not having been more careful. He opened his mouth to answer, but he didn't know what to say. He stuttered a little. "I… That's because… Well…". Kiba narrowed his eye. Shikamaru realized his cheeks were warming up. He felt embarrassed, and terrified. He started talking really fast. "At first he seemed to be afraid of something. All nights he panicked. I just started taking his hand to show him I was there".

"Couldn't you just tell him -Hey dude, I'm here-?", Kiba asked, still looking really angry.

Shikamaru felt trapped, while a great pressure on his chest started making it hard for him to breathe. "You don't get it", he answered, realizing his voice was trembling. "You weren't there. When I found him he was almost dead. Sick, and malnourished. His body was pure bones. And his eyes…". Shikamaru clenched his teeth, trying to control himself, but it was in vane. "He was so week… I talked to him but he didn't hear me. I really thought he was going to die". He closed his eyes at remembering those terrifying moments. "He was the first familiar person I saw in months, and I couldn't abandon him. Taking his hand was the only thing that seemed to work...". Shikamaru felt his heart beating so fast in his chest that it hurted. "I wanted so desperately to save him...".

He couldn't kept talking. His whole body was shaking. The Nara clenched his fists at the sides of his body and lowered his head, breathing fast. He imagined more accusations would come next, but instead of that, he heard Kiba's steps approaching. A second later, Shikamaru felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Dude, calm down", the Inuzuka said. "I'm sorry". He sounded a lot nicer now, so Shikamaru opened his eyes, thought he couldn't look at him yet. "I get it. It was hard for everybody... I shouldn't have attack you like that.". The Nara lifted his stare a little. Kiba was being honest. "You actually did a good thing by helping him. If it wasn't for you, he'd probably be dead now".

The Nara clenched his teeth. He hated having lost control like that. For some reason, he didn't feel comfortable talking about his feelings with Kiba, or with anyone. Probably because during the last years he had only opened up like that with Neji.

"There is nothing going on between us", Shikamaru whispered.

Kiba squeezed his shoulder a little. "I know", he answered. "It's okay".

Finally, the Nara lifted his stare to look at his friend. To see that he was smiling made the fear fade away, at least just a bit.

The two boys got out of the tent together. Kiba went to find Ino, and Shikamaru just started walking without direction. He couldn't sleep now, because he couldn't stop thinking about the Inuzuka's words. Yes, his relation with Neji was kind of unusual, but it hadn't been intentional. Things had simply turned out that way. And there was nothing he could do to change it. Or maybe there was, but why did he had to do that? He liked being close to Neji, and he knew the Hyuuga liked it too. Why should other people care about it?

Shikamaru walked away from the tents so he could be alone for a while. He didn't want to talk to anyone, because he didn't want to answer more uncomfortable questions. Unfortunately for him, the night wasn't over yet. He was dragging his feet across the camp when a woman's voice sounded at his back.

"So that's why you don't have feelings for me anymore", it said.

Shikamaru stopped and turned around to find Temari. She still looked a bit angry, though not as much as a few hours ago. The Nara raised his eyebrows, not following. "What?", he asked.

The girl held his stare firmly. After a short silence, she spoke again. "It's because of Neji, isn't it?".

Shikamaru simply looked at her. She wasn't entirely wrong, but he didn't want to have that conversation again. He shook his head and frowned. "What?", he asked again.

"Cut the crap, Nara", she answered, making a step towards him. "I'm not stupid. And I have eyes, you know. So, is it?".

In any other occasion he would have answer with a lie, just to avoid the issue. But he was just too tired. He took a deep breath and let it ot slowly, lowering his shoulders. "Umm… Yes and no", he replied.

Temari frowned at him. "What?", she questioned. "What does that mean? Are you together or not?".

Shikamaru didn't like the tone of accusation on her voice, but he had no energy to fight. "Yes, and no", he repeated.

The girl frown got even deeper. She was starting to get annoyed. "Could you stop answering like an idiot?", she asked roughly.

The Nara couldn't help to roll his eyes. He was just too exhausted. "I'm sorry, but it's the truth", he responded. "In the last years we have done everything together, so in a way, we are. We are very, very close. But not in the way you think".

Temari's expression softened a little. She didn't look mad anymore, though she seemed a little confused. "So…", she started asking. "Nothing has happened between you two?".

Shikamaru went silent for a moment. For some reason, that question hurted more than any other. He closed his eyes and started turning his back to her, intending to leave. "No", he answered, feeling a bitter taste on his mouth at pronouncing those words. "Never".

He started walking away slowly, hoping the girl would drop it. But she didn't. Before he could take another step, she spoke again. "But you wish it had", she whispered.

Shikamaru opened his eyes and stopped. That was not a question, but an affirmation. And it opened a box he had been trying to keep closed for a very long time, because he didn't dare to face what was locked inside. He wanted to turn around and tell her she was wrong, but he couldn't. Now that she had said those words out loud, there was no way of running away from them. He felt his heart shrinking, and a deep sadness spread across his chest. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, letting the silence speak for him.

**Hello everybody!**

**First I want to apologize for making you wait for so long for this chapter. I've been really busy lately. That's why it took me so long to post, so sorry for that!**

**I also wanted to thank you for your comments in the last chapter. Back when I posted it I had just have a job interview for a job I really needed, and it went terrible so I was feeling really down. But your awesome comments made me feel so much better! So thank you very, very much for all the love and support. You are definitely the best readers ever ^^**

**I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please let me know!**

**Till next one! **


	9. Chapter 9

Neji dipped his hands in the bucket of water and then took them to his thick mane. It was the morning after the mission and he was sitting outside his tent trying to clean his hair, which was tangled and dirty from the last fight. He ran his wet fingers through the messy strands, while listening to the sounds around him. When he was halfway through his task he heard steps approaching to him.

"Hi, Neji!", the voices of two girls greeted him. Ino and Tenten sat in the ground in front of him.

"Good morning", he answered with a quiet smile.

"We were just talking about the mission", the Yamanaka said. "It was pretty interesting, right? Now we now one more thing about those creatures". She was trying to sound light, but Neji could hear a slight anticipation in her voice. "Good thing Shikamaru realized about it…".

"Yes", Tenten agreed. "He really is quite smart, isn't he?".

Neji smiled unconsciously at hearing the Nara's name. Just remembering the way the boy had related so many facts to understand how those beasts where locating them filled his chest with pride. Shikamaru was the smartest person he had ever met. He had learned that in the last two years.

"He is", he answered calmly, while draining the water from his hair with his hands.

"Yeah…", Ino started saying. "And also, the way you guys fought together was pretty impressive".

"Right", Tenten added. "How you communicated with those sounds, and how you guys used that _bō _together. I've never seen something like that".

"Totally", Ino affirmed. "You've obviously practiced a lot...".

Neji didn't miss the strange tone with which they pronounced those words. They were evidently not there just to make small chat. He remained calm and answered with a relaxed voice. "We had a lot of time".

The girls didn't say anything for a little while, and Neji imagined they were exchanging glances, probably trying to come up with something else. He didn't expected them to go straight to the point like they did a second later.

"Okay, I just have to ask", Ino finally confessed. "Are you and Shikamaru…?".

Neji waited for the end of the question, but it didn't came. Ino just let it fade in the air. He arched an eyebrow. "What?", he asked.

The girl hesitated. "You know…", she just murmured.

Neji resisted the impulse to roll his blind eyes at her. "Do I?".

"Yeah, I mean…", she tried to elaborate. "Like, a thing?".

The Hyuuga frowned, starting to get irritated by her imprecise words. "A thing?", he repeated.

"Yes", she replied, now more convinced. "What I'm saying is, are you guys a couple?".

Neji went blank for a few seconds, and then shook his head a little, trying to assimilate the question. "What?", he asked, frowning. "No. Why would you think that?".

He knew the girls where exchanging glances again. "Well", Tenten tried to explain. "It looks like you're very close to each other".

"So?", Neji replied. He told himself he was just annoyed by the question, but the truth was it made him feel something strange. Like a tiny vertigo in his heart.

"And", Ino added. "We know you have spent a lot of time together, just the two of you, alone".

Neji shook his head once more, not hiding his discontent. "And what about that?".

A short silence came next, while he could almost hear the girl's curiosity in the air. It was Ino who finally dared to ask the question. "Did you guys do it?".

Neji's heart jumped. The sudden thought of Shikamaru and him having intimacy made his blood run faster. He feared he was about to blush. "No!", he exclaimed. "What is the matter with you?".

Tenten spoke with her kindest voice to try to ease her friend. "C'mon, Neji. Don't be mad, but it's obvious that your relation is kind of… different. And the way he stares at you, is… How would I put it?".

"I know", Ino backed her up. "He looks totally hypnotized when you're around".

Neji didn't know how to answer to that. He had no idea of how Shikamaru used to look at him, and he had never imagined he did it in a special way. Why would he, after all? He could only manage to shook his head again.

"And you also act strange with him", Tenten added. "You start smiling in the second he approaches to you".

"Yes. Sorry Neji, it's just hard to believe that nothing has ever happened between the two of you", Ino said. "Has he not even tried to kiss you?".

He felt his chest closing, and suddenly it hurt to breathe. No, Shikamaru had never tried to kiss him. In none of the nights they spent together, the Nara had tried anything with him. There were a few times when Neji thought he was going to do something, but it never happened. They had always had a lot of physical contact. Neji recalled the many nights they had spent cuddling under the same blanket to keep eachother warm. He remembered Shikamaru's body against his, his calm breathing on his nape. He knew it was a very intimate position, but in no ocasion Shikamaru had taken it forward, despite of having the chance every night. Neji wondered what would have happened if the Nara had made a move. A tiny voice in his head told him he would have probably accepted it, but that only made him feel more confused.

He shook his head once more, trying to dissipate those thoughts. "No", he said firmly. "He would never to that. Everything he did he did it for me. To help me".

The girls went silent for a little while. When Tenten spoke, she sounded a little ashamed. "That's right. He saved your life".

That was true, but it wasn't all. "He did a lot more that that", he assured. "He made me feel useful again, and showed me I could still do things by myself. He did his best to keep me from giving up, without expecting anything in return". He made a pause, realizing this was the first time he expressed those thoughts out loud. "I owe him everything".

After that confession, the girls finally dropped the issue. He felt a little awkward about having told them that, but he couldn't let them think that Shikamaru had taken advantage of his condition in any way, because the boy had never had. They changed the subject, trying to lighten the mood, and a little after they left, leaving him with a strange mix of feelings.

The truth was, in the last two years, he had caught himself many times thinking about how it would feel to kiss Shikamaru. But in every occasion he had convinced himself that it was only because they had spent too much time alone together, and that was confusing him. The Nara was the only person with whom he had contact, and it wasn't so hard to believe that he could became the target of a few emotions, triggered probably by loneliness. He kept washing his hair, wishing he could wash away that unknown sensation too.

Neji was immersed in his thoughts, when he felt the presence of the person he knew the most approaching to him. There was no way he could ever mistake Shikamaru's chakra. He realized immediately that there was something wrong with the boy, because he could feel it in his skin. That was how much he knew him. He waited, and then heard the Nara sitting in the ground in front of him, where the girls had been just a few minutes ago.

"Hey", Shikamaru said in a voice that sounded considerably tired. Neji could tell he had probably not sleep much that night. "Taking a quick bath?".

It was an intent to sound carefree and relax, which Neji knew he wasn't. He decided to play along. "It was easier to do it in the rain", he jocked. Shikamaru simply let out a short sound that sounded like an agreement laugh, but it wasn't much. Then, he just keep quiet. Neji gave him a bit of time, but it didn't seem like he was going to open up by himself, so he decided to take the first step. "Are you going to tell me what is bothering you or do I have to ask you?".

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "There's nothing bothering me", he answered. Neji looked straight ahead to where he knew the Nara was, and inclined his head an inch. That was the gesture he used to tell Shikamaru that he knew he was lying. It didn't took long for the boy to give up. "Fine", he said. "Umm, have you ever…", he started asking, but then hesitated for a moment. It was strange, because Shikamaru was always very honest and clear with him. But he was obviously having doubts now, like the night he told him about his conversation with Temari. Like he wasn't sure of how Neji was going to react to his words. "Thought we are… like, weird?".

Neji frowned softly, not understanding. "Can you elaborate?".

"I mean", the Nara continued. "That the way we act with each other is a little… strange?".

Neji was really surprised by the question, especially after the conversation he had just had with the two kunoichis. "No", he answered firmly. "Have you?".

"No", Shikamaru admitted. "But a few people have been asking me crazy questions about it".

He knew exactly what the Nara meant. "Let me guess. Ino and Tenten?".

"Ah, no", Shikamaru replied. "Why do you think it was them?".

Neji ran his fingers through his hair, realizing there were more people having the same impressions of his relation with the Nara. "They just came to ask me something like that a few minutes ago", he explained.

In front of him, Shikamaru let out an exasperated exhalation. "Seriously? What the hell man...".

He sounded just as confused as Neji had felt earlier that day. But was there something else there? Was he angry about the situation? Maybe he felt uncomfortable with everyone's assumptions about their relationship. He tried not to think about it. "Who asked you?", he questioned.

"Kiba", Shikamaru answered. He hesitated a little before finishing the sentence. "And Temari…".

Neji pursed his lips, not noticing he was doing it. He was afraid Shikamaru would ask him to change their ways of behaving with each other, to stop people from arriving to wrong conclusions. He didn't want to know the answer to the next question, but he knew he had to ask. "And how do you feel about it?".

The Nara meditated for a few seconds. "I don't know… I'm surprised everybody thinks that way. But I have no problem with how he treat each other. I mean, we're not doing anything wrong, right? And besides, I like it".

At hearing those last words Neji couldn't help to smile. Knowing that Shikamaru liked their relationship, even despite of what others could think about them, made him feel more than relieved. He liked having that special bond with the Nara too, and he loved knowing that the boy was always there for him no matter what. He didn't want things to change only to make other people stop talking. He reached a hand to gently touch Shikamaru's arm.

"I like it too", he said softly, feeling the Nara's warm skin under his wet fingers. "And no, we are not doing anything wrong. Maybe they just need a little time to get used to it. Do not worry about it".

He felt Shikamaru's chakra calming down with his words. "You're right. Who cares about what they think?", he answered, taking his hand to return the gentle touch. "I'm glad we talked about it".

Neji simply smiled wider, happy to know they were still in the same place.

They hung out a little longer until Shikamaru left to find Choji. He didn't want the Akimichi to feel jealous of Neji, now that they were really close too. Neji finished washing his hair and then went back to his tent, intending to meditate for a while. But it didn't take long before he heard Tenten screaming his name. The girl entered the tent running and almost tripped. She was evidently very excited, which meant she had big news.

"Tsunade-sama is back!", she exclaimed, as she approached to Neji. "She says she will see your eyes now!". The girl took him by the wrist and started pulling from him to take him outside.

Neji let her guide him across the camp, not knowing how to feel. Tsunade was probably the greatest doctor alive, and she might be able to fix his eyes. But why if she couldn't? Neji knew she was his last chance of recovering his sight, but just in case, he should be prepared for a negative diagnostic. He didn't want to have his hopes crashed.

After running for a few minutes they were finally in the Hokage's presence. The woman was very happy to see him alive and okay, and she instructed him to sit in order to check his eyes. He felt her fingers over his face and tried to stay calm, though it was hard to control the anticipation. Next to them, he could hear Tenten biting her nails nervously.

"Well, I think I can work with this", the Godaime said at last. "Your eyes had suffer a lot of damage, but with enough therapy you might be able to recover most of your sight. It will take a few months, though".

Neji opened his mouth to thank her, but he couldn't speak. So it was real? He was going to be capable of seeing again? He had been blind for more than two years, and before they found the survivors, he had accepted he was going to stay that way forever. He felt anxiety growing in his chest at thinking that in a couple of months he would be back to being the same person he had been.

"We will start tomorrow, if you want", Tsunade told him, and Neji's heart accelerated.

"Of course", he answered, and stood up to bow at her. "Thank you so much, Godaime-sama".

Tenten took his arm and started walking him back to the tent, while she kept talking about how awesome the Hokage was. Neji could only think about one thing: telling Shikamaru the good news. He tried to feel his chakra to localize him, but he wasn't around.

* * *

He stretched his arms in the air and yawned. Now that he had cleared things up with Neji, he finally felt he could sleep. Shikamaru was sitting in the ground next to Choji, who was still enjoying his eternal breakfast. After that he intended to nap for a couple of hours, expecting no one will interrupt him. But in that moment, Kiba arrived and changed everything.

"Guys, guess what?", he asked to the two friends as he ran towards them. He looked really excited. "A recognition group found survivors from Konoha a few miles away from here! We just got a message from them".

Shikamaru straightened immediately, and Choji stopped eating. "Really?", the Akimichi questioned. "Who are the survivors?"

Shikamaru wanted to ask the same question, because the hope of finding his parents had never disappeared from his mind.

"The message didn't specified that", Kiba answered. "But they want us to bring them food, so a small groups is leaving today to go meet with them. Once they feel better, we'll bring them here. Want to come? It'll take us a few months to get there and then return, but it'll be less boring if we go together".

The two friends stood up. Choji agreed to join the group without even thinking about it, because he was also hoping to find his mother and father. But Shikamaru hesitated. Of course he wanted to go. If there was at least a tiny chance that his parents were among the survivors, he had to meet with them. But he couldn't leave without Neji. The Hyuuga would probably want to come too, but he had to ask him first.

"What do you say, man?", Kiba asked when Shikamaru didn't answer.

"Sure", the Nara responded. "But I have to ask Neji".

The Inuzuka frowned a little at hearing this. "Why?", he interrogated.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Maybe he'd like to come too", he answered.

"And what if he doesn't?", Choji questioned shyly.

He had no answer for that. Or he had, but he wasn't sure of wanting to say it out loud. He couldn't leave Neji for such a long time. They had never been apart since they found each other, and he didn't feel good with the idea. He scratched his head, hesitating. "I don't know…", he whispered.

"You don't have to be around him all the time", Kiba said. "You've helped him and all, but now there are other people that can take care of him".

"It's not that simple", Shikamaru answered, feeling really uncomfortable again. "We are a team". His friends simply stared at him. He started walking away, fearing another weird interrogation about their relationship. "Just let me talk to him and I'll be right back with you".

He started heading to Neji's tent, hoping he could just go to sleep and forget about everything.

* * *

Neji sat over his sleeping bag, still thinking about the Godaime's words. He stared into the darkness of his blind eyes, remembering the past, when he could still see. He thought of his friends, recalling the faces of Tenten and Lee. And then, the face of a young Shikamaru popped inside his head. Would the boy have changed in those last years? He probably looked older now, and Neji realized he really wanted to see him. How would it feel to make eye contact with him after only having listened to his voice for so long? Would the Nara be happy of knowing his eyes could still heal? He probably would, because he had been the first to ask for the Hokage to check on him when they arrived to the camp. He bit his lip, feeling impatient.

When a little later he felt Shikamaru's chakra approaching to the tent, his heart started beating fast. Before the boy entered he was already standing up.

"Hey", Shikamaru said, getting into the tent. Neji turned towards him with a big smile he didn't even try to hide. The Nara stopped at seeing his expression. "Why are you so happy?".

He took a deep breath trying to calm himself, but he couldn't wait to tell the Nara the good news. "The Godaime is back", he said. "She says with enough therapy she can heal my eyes".

Shikamaru went silent for a second. Then, Neji heard him walking towards him.

"Really?", he asked. He sounded surprised. Obviously he wasn't expecting that to be the reason of Neji's good mood.

The Hyuuga nodded. "We will start tomorrow", he added.

Shikamaru approached until he was right in front of him. "That's awesome", he answered, and Neji could tell he was being honest, though he still sounded a bit shocked. "Neji, I'm so happy for you".

He could tell he was happy, but that was not all. The Hyuuga inclined his head to a side, trying to read Shikamaru's emotions.

"What's wrong?", he questioned softly.

"Nothing", the Nara replied immediately. "Really, I'm just happy for you".

Neji frowned slightly. There was something else that Shikamaru wasn't saying. Why was he so undecided about talking with him lately? Usually he just came straight with werever that was on his mind. "You came here to tell me something, didn't you?", he asked.

He heard the Nara exhaling. He took a very long moment before answering. "A recognition team found a bunch of survivors from Konoha. Kiba ask me to go in the mission to get them here. They leave today".

Neji opened his eyes wide. Those were important news too. There could be someone they knew from Konoha among the survivors. He knew Shikamaru had always harbored the hope to see his parents, and he himself had not give up the possibility of finding his family and the rest of his team. He opened his mouth to speak, but Shikamaru did it first.

"But I'm not going", he said. "The therapy can make you very tired, maybe sore. This is more important".

Neji lowered his shoulders, amazed by the Nara's reaction. He was willing to put on hold something such significant as searching for his parents to stay by his side. He realized Shikamaru had probably came to ask him to go on the mission with him, imagining Neji would say yes. Of course, the Nara knew he would take every opportunity to keep showing everybody that he wasn't a defenseless blind person. But he obviously couldn't go now, he had to stay for Tsunade's therapy. Shikamaru had not even hesitated with his decision. Staying next to Neji was his absolute priority, like it had been during the last years. It was impossible not to be touch by Shikamaru's loyalty and determination, and it made Neji feel a swirl of emotions tangling inside him.

He reached a hand, searching for the Nara. His fingers touched Shikamaru's chest, and at first he thought of removing his hand, but then he simply let it rest there. It was the most affectionate touch he could manage right now.

"You should go", he whispered, while he felt Shikamaru's chest moving slowly as the breathed.

Neji sensed the movement of the Nara shaking his head. "I can't go now, when you need me the most", he said. "Whoever the survivors are, I'll see them when they get here. Not like I'm indispensable for this mission".

Neji lightly ran his thumb over the fabric of the Nara's clothes in a tender caress. "I know you think this could be your parents", he answered. "And I understand that. Tenten will be by my side all the time. You don't have to stay for me. You should go".

Shikamaru's hand flew to his, and he pressed it softly against his chest.

"I can't", he replied in a murmur, squeezing Neji's hand with his fingers. "If I go I'll be wondering if you're okay all the time, so I won't even be of use for thinking". Neji felt Shikamaru's heartbeat through his palm hitting hard against his chest. "I don't want to leave you".

Emotions rose from the center of his body to the surface of his skin. He had never imagined hearing Shikamaru speak like that. They were very close, and they had shared a lot of things about themself over the last years, but they had never talked about how they felt towards each other. He knew Shikamaru worried about him because he had demonstrated it with his actions during all their time together, but he had never said it out loud. Neji wished so much he could see his face now, something he had not felt he needed in a very long time, because he had got used to "see" the Nara in other ways. His lifted his free hand to place the tip of his fingers over Shikamaru's cheek. The boy accepted the touch without saying a word.

Neji ran his fingers across his face, moving from the deep circles under Shikamaru's eyes to his temple, and then to his forehead. There was tension accumulated in this last point, and Neji recognized all the feelings that were reflected in the Nara's expression. Concern, doubt, but above all, fear.

"You can't leave me", he whispered, feeling Shikamaru's accelerated heartbeats. "Everything I am now it's because of you". He needed to find the right words to express what he wanted to say. Slowly, he moved his hand to the Nara's cheek again. "You are, part of me, somehow. And no matter how far you go, you will always be with me".

Shikamaru leaned his face into his touch and pressed his hand a bit more against is chest. He didn't talk for a long moment. Neji just gave him time, and gently caressed his cheek with his thumb. This was the most honest and affectionate he had ever been with anyone in his entire life.

After a long minute, Shikamaru's grasp on his hand relaxed a little.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?", he asked softly. His voice still sounded a bit sad.

The Hyuuga nodded, but he felt he needed to do more to ease Shikamaru's emotions. He walked forward and slid his hands through the Nara's body to his nape, slowly surrounding his neck with his arms in a tender embrace. "I will", he whispered.

Shikamaru wrapped his arms around his waist and hugged him back, pressing his forehead against Neji's neck. Then he took a deep breath, and tightened his grip. It was like he was saying goodbye forever, though he was going to be back soon. The Hyuuga realized that being apart after such a long time of being side by side made him feel confused and disorientated, and he knew he felt that way too. Eventually Shikamaru pulled back a little, though he didn't let go Neji's waist. The Hyuuga rest his hands on his shoulder and leaned forward to join their foreheads.

"I'll be back soon", the Nara whispered. "I promise".

Neji smiled, still wanting to make his worries disappear. "I will see you then", he answered.

It was tiny joke he knew Shikamaru would get. The younger boy let out a soft laugh at hearing him, and Neji thanked the gods for the sound. The Nara rubbed his face across his until he landed his lips over his cheek. He gave Neji a sweet kiss, that lasted long seconds, and the Hyuuga felt his heart jumping. Finally, Shikamaru started walking back towards the exit, letting him go slowly. Though he couldn't see him, Neji knew he stood by the entrance for one more moment, just watching him one last time, before turning around and leave.

* * *

He made just one quick stop to grab his backpack and then went directly to meet with Kiba and Choji again. If he took just another second to think about what he was doing, he would regret it and stay with Neji. But the boy really wanted him to go, as a thank you for all he had done for him. He wasn't sure of how it made him feel, but he was so confused about his feeling lately that it wasn't anything new. He hated leaving, but at the same time it was probably a good thing to spend a little time apart from each other, at least to get some perspective. He knew it was going to be hard, though, because he missed Neji every night they spent separated. Being away for indeterminate time was going to be twice as troublesome.

His friends where thrilled that he had decided to go with them. A few more shinobis join them, including Ino. Tenten and Sakura were going to stay to help Neji with his recovery. Shikamaru knew they would take care of him, but he still had the feeling that no one would do it better than him. He knew Neji, and he knew what he needed even when he didn't say it. But he couldn't back up now. No after the conversation they had just had.

The team was ready for the trip, so they left the camp. They had to walk a lot to meet with the survivors, and that meant he would have a lot of time to think. Just the idea made him feel tired already. He remembered the way Neji had hugged him, and how natural and right it had felt. Recalling how the Hyuuga was before the catastrophe, so distant and cold, still surprised him. He was nothing like that now, at least not with him. And then he remembered how he had kissed him. Why had he done that? The situation had been intimate enough, and Neji's embrace was more than he could have asked for. Why did he have to go and kiss him on the cheek? To send confusing signals to the boy was the last thing he needed right now. But he simply felt he had to do it, and he couldn't explain it. Or he didn't want to, because it just to think about it was too overwhelming.

"Hey, you!", Ino called his attention. The rest of the team had been chatting since they left the camp, but he couldn't follow their conversation. He was just too lost in his thoughts. "You heard about Neji's therapy, right? I knew Tsunade-sama would be able to help him. Isn't that great?".

Shikamaru forced himself to a tiny smile, hoping it would look natural. "Yeah…", he answered, and then went back to not talking.

It was great, wasn't it? Of course it was. Neji was going to recover his sight, and that was such a good thing. But at the same time, it meant things were probably going to change between them. If the Hyuuga became able to see again, then he wouldn't need Shikamaru anymore. Not to fight, not to walk, not even to tie his hair. And that was good too. The boy would be capable of being totally independent again, like he had been back in Konoha. Did it mean they would distance themselves? Maybe not, but things were definitely going to be different. Those secret codes they had established during the last years wouldn't be necessary anymore, and that made him feel kind of empty.

Shikamaru shook his head. That was a very selfish way of thinking. Yes, things WERE going to change, and he didn't want them to. But this was not about him and his feelings, this was about Neji. If he really cared about the Hyuuga, he had to be supportive. Even if they lost their special bond, this was the best for Neji. If he was a good friend, he had to leave those feeling behind him and just accept that this was the right thing to do. It hurt, but deep inside, he knew he simply had to let it go.

**Hi! **

**Well new chapter! I really enjoyed writing this one. I love writing their interactions. I'm just so in love with this two! **

**Hope you liked it, I'll try to post next chapter soon!**

**Thank you for the unconditional love ^^ Hope you guys are doing great!**


	10. Chapter 10

Neji lifted his hands in front of his face, trying to see something. It had been almost a month since he had started with Tsunade's therapy, and he was getting more and more impatient with each passing day. He could notice a small change in his vision. The darkness of his eyes was starting to light up. Instead of black, he could now see a bright white, but he still couldn't make out shapes.

He cursed and lowered his hands again. "Don't get frustrated", he heard the voice of Tenten somewhere near. The girl had stayed by his side during the whole process, taking him to the Godaime and then back to their tent everyday. Having Tsunade's healing power acting over his face made him exhausted and dizzy, and after each session he needed to lay down and get some rest. That's how he felt now, tired and a bit sick, but that was nothing compared with how he had felt the first days of therapy.

The first sessions had lasted just a couple of minutes, because the Godaime wanted to start slowly, in order to protect Neji. The boy had insisted that he could take longer sessions, but after the first day he realized why Tsunade was being so cautious. His body felt weak and his eyes ached like hell. Walking back to the tent was harder that he had imagined, and he was glad to have Tenten's help in those moments.

Neji lay down over his sleeping bag, letting out an exasperated exhalation. He knew recovery required time, and that he had to be patient. But he had a very clear objective: being able to see by the time Shikamaru came back. That was really all he cared about, and he couldn't bare the idea of not making it on time.

He recalled his last conversation with the Nara before the boy left for his mission. He remembered that moment all the time, because there had been something strange in it. Specially in the way Shikamaru had hugged him, as if the boy thought that was the last time they were going to see each other. At first Neji didn't understand it, but with the passing of days he realized, if he recovered his sight, he was never going to "see" Shikamaru in the ways he had got used to do it. They had build up they relationship based on the fact that Neji was blind, and that had conditionated all the ways they interacted with each other. Maybe the Nara had felt all that was coming to its end, and that was why he was been so reluctant about leaving. Perhaps he thought things were going to change between them, and he didn't want that to happen.

But that was ridiculous. Of course Shikamaru wanted Neji to recover his eyes. After all, the boy cared about him, a lot.

Unconsciously, the Hyuuga took a hand to his cheek and touched the place where Shikamaru had kissed him before leaving. It had been the most affectionate gesture anyone had ever had with him, and just thinking about it still made his heart beat fast. During the last years he had wondered so many times about how it would feel to receive a kiss from the Nara, and it turned out it was nothing like he had imagined. Despite of the many days that had passed after it, Neji could still feel the ghost of Shikamaru's lips over his skin. He found himself wishing to never forget about that sensation.

* * *

Shikamaru stood near the edge of the cliff and looked down. They had traveled for more than a month to get to where the survivors were hiding. Sadly, his parents weren't among them. This made him feel extremely angry with himself, because instead of being there he could be at the camp helping Neji with his recovery. He regretted about leaving during the whole trip, and now that he could confirm his parents weren't there, he felt even worse.

He turned around an inch to look at the survivors from over his shoulder. They were four people, and he didn't know any of them. They were very weak and malnourished, so the team would have to wait for a few days until they felt strong enough for the long journey. They had carried enough food for them, and fortunately nobody was hurt, so they just needed to feed them and when they had recovered some energy they'll be ready to get back.

Shikamaru turned to the abyss again. He was pretty disappointed about not having news from his parents yet, but he knew he shouldn't lose hope. Survivors were still appearing here and there, so there was still a chance for them to be alive. The world was simply too big to rule out the possibility.

In that moment, a movement coming from below caught his attention. He focused his sight in that exact point, and saw one single Zetsu at the foot of the mountain. Apparently it had seen them and was trying to climb the rocky wall to get them, but it continued falling down. It was weird to find one of those creatures alone. The thing had probably came from the earth with many others, but those had been defeated. Shikamaru watched it growling as it kept intending to reach for them. "Stupid beast", he whispered.

As hearing him speak, Kiba approached from behind to stand next to him. "Something interesting?", he asked. Shikamaru pointed down to the insistent Zetsu. "Where did that one came from?".

The Nara shrinked his shoulders. "It probably has been wandering around just looking for someone to kill", he answered flatly.

Kiba inclined his head to a side, thinking as he watched the creature with growing interest. "Its alone, right? Man, this is a great opportunity!". He turned around to the others and made a sign with his hands to Ino and Choji. The two friends approached as well and looked down.

"For what?", Shikamaru questioned, not following.

"The medics at the camp had wanted to study those things anatomy for years to learn more about them, but they can't do it with the dead ones because they rotten in less than an hour", the Inuzuka explained. Shikamaru knew this, because he had tried the same thing a couple of times with the same results. "We've been trying to capture one of them alive, but it's hard because there's always more than one. Let's get closer to see if we can get it".

After telling the survivors to wait for them, the three shinobis started walking. Shikamaru followed them, still doubting. "You want to capture it?", he asked, confused. "But this things don't stop fighting until they're dead. Its impossible to study their bodies while they're alive".

"I know", Kiba answered, as he kept walking down the mountain carefully. "But we figured that if it we manage to cut its arms and maybe its legs it will be a lot easier".

Shikamaru felt a chill traveling down his spine, and he stopped walking. That sentence took him to a moment in the past, about a year and a half ago. He had had this same idea one afternoon as he wondered with Neji through desert lands. The memory hit him in the face like a bucket of cold water.

_He stared at the creature crawling over the grass. It had lost both legs, which meant it had been in a fight. He already knew by now that the only way to kill those things was cutting their heads off, or to nail a sharp kunai on the soft point at their napes. If not, they simply stayed alive, not matter how many parts they were missing. He had always thought he could probably figure out something more about them it he had the chance to study them closely, and this was a very good chance to do it. The thing was alone and it had very little mobility, so if he managed to cut its arms too, it would be really easy to go on from that point. _

"_Wait here", he told Neji, who was standing next to him, staring right ahead though he couldn't see. _

"_What are you going to do?", the Hyuuga asked while Shikamaru looked for his kunai inside his backpack. _

"_If I manage to immobilize it completely maybe I'll be able to see how its body works", he explained, focusing on the task ahead. He stood up and approached to the crawling creature. "It doesn't have legs, so if I cut its arms too…"._

"_What?", Neji interrupted him. "You can't do that"._

_Shikamaru understood that the Hyuuga thought it was dangerous and risky, so he tried to calm him down. "It won't hurt me if I'm careful", he affirmed, slowly walking to the beast._

_At his back, Neji started sounding uncomfortable. "That is not what I meant", he clarified. "It's cruel"._

_This made Shikamaru stop. He turned around to the Hyuuga and saw that the boy was frowning. "What?", he asked with astonishment. "You feel empathy towards this things after all they've done?"._

_Neji pursed his lips. It was really obvious that he didn't approve Shikamaru's plan at all. "No", he answered. "But you don't know if they can feel pain. You cannot slaughter it and keep it alive to study it. That's horrible"._

_Shikamaru was shocked. Was Neji really saying this? "Who cares if they can feel pain? They have murdered thousands of people. Why should we have mercy on them?"._

_The Hyuuga frowned even more and stared right at him, knowing exactly where he was for the sound of his voice. "Because the fact that they are ruthless beast does not mean we have to be like that too", he said firmly. "We are not monsters"._

_Shikamaru went silent for a long minute, in which he studied Neji's expression. It was hard and serious, because he really meant what he was saying. Suddenly, his attention flew to the scars around the Hyuuga's eyes, that had been caused by those maniacs who had captured him long ago. He imagined Neji tied to a cold metal surface, being tortured while a group of people studied his eyes, without caring about how much pain they were causing him. The mental image turned Shikamaru's gut around, and in that instant he understood what he had been about to do._

"_You're right", he answered, still surprised of his own lack of touch towards Neji. "I can't do that. Its awful". He turned to watch the Zetsu still crawling slowly at his feet, and for the first time, he felt sorry for the creature. Shikamaru stared at the Hyuuga again. "I'm glad you were here to stop me"._

_Finally Neji's expression softened, and he smiled._

He came back to reality. His friends were still walking towards the Zetsu, not noticing that he wasn't following them anymore. He realized immediately that he had to stop them.

"Wait!", he screamed, and everybody turned to look at him. Shikamaru ran to reach them, knowing it would be hard to convince them. "We can't do that".

"Why not?", Ino questioned, staring at him with confusion.

"It's cruel", the Nara answered, hearing Neji's voice in his head. His friends looked at him incredulous.

"Cruel?", Kiba repeated. "And what about them? Weren't they cruel with us?"

Shikamaru lowered his shoulders. He understood the Inuzuka's feelings, but despite of that he found himself speaking with Neji's words. "It doesn't mean we have to be like that too", he said, soft, but clear. "We are not monsters".

His friends exchanged stares. They obviously thought he had lost his mind, but didn't say it. "So what?", Ino asked. "We just leave it here and miss the chance?".

They didn't seem willing to do that. Shikamaru understood for how long they had been waiting for this opportunity, but he couldn't help feeling that he had to protect that horrible thing from the unnecessary violence to which his friends wanted to submit it. "We can try to capture it without hurting it", he suggested. "If we make it we can take it back to the camp and just study its behavior".

Kiba rolled his eyes at him. "If it were that easy we would've done it long ago".

That was true, for sure. Even if the Zetsu was alone, they couldn't risk being bitten and have an infection. This was definitely going to be troublesome, but Shikamaru knew he had to make it work.

* * *

Neji stared at the blurry image in front of him. He was sitting over his sleeping bag, watching his reflection on a shield that Tenten had gotten it for him so he could use it as a mirror. His sight wasn't clear yet, but even if he couldn't see the details, he could recognize his own face. He focused on his eyes, trying to make out the colour. They were of a diluted, faint pink, which was still far from their original lavender tone. His skin looked the same, though. Pale pearl, like he remembered it. But there was something contrasting with the white around his eyes. Neji took a hand to his face to slid his fingers over the scars that covered his eyelids. They were dark red, very notorious, and they were very likely going to be there for ever. So even if he recovered his sight completely, he would always have a reminder of how his life had been in that state.

To think that his scars would be the only thing that wouldn't change after having his eyes back made him feel empty inside. Of course he wanted to be able to see again and leave all that suffering and the feeling of disability behind, but at the same time, as things become clearer, his feelings got harder and harder to decipher. He had the sensation of being walking away from the person he had came to be during those last years. And the most important matter about that person was how he had got to be that way, and thanks to whom.

The echo of Shikamaru's voice rumbled inside his head. "_I'll be back soon. I promise_". The last visual memories he had from the Nara were form almost three years ago, when they were still in Konoha. A lot had happened after that, and he couldn't help to wonder if Shikamaru had changed physically from the way he remembered him. He probably looked older now, more like a young man than like a boy. Neji tried to reconstruct his face: he had very sharp features, and deep, black eyes, but he couldn't recall much more. What he couldn't forget was the warmth of his body during the cold winter nights, and the sweet and kind sound of his voice when he tried to comfort him.

His mind traveled to the day when Shikamaru had found him. The boy had taken care of him until his fever finally came down, being extremely gentle and devoted. Neji stared at the blurry scars around his eyes, and realized how bad his condition had probably been on those times. Fortunately for him, Shikamaru had kept things under control with patience and kindness, and after Neji started feeling better, he had done all he could to just keep his spirits up. Until that moment, the Hyuuga had never imagined himself laughing with anyone's silly jokes, but somehow Shikamaru had managed to accomplish that. A particular memory came back to him.

_He was sitting over the grass near the fire, in front of a big pile of dead scorpions. That was all Shikamaru had found to eat, so they had to settle with it. Neji knew he had to remove the part where the venom was, which was right before the sting. He took the first scorpion and pulled from the tail, trying not to tear it into pieces. Unfortunately, the thing was more fragile that he had expected, and it ended up falling apart between his fingers._

"_Stupid bug", he complained, throwing the remains of the scorpion to a side._

"_Scorpions are not actually bugs, you know", he heard Shikamaru saying not far away from him._

"_What?", he asked, as he reached for another one._

"_Bugs are insects", the Nara explained. "And scorpions are not insects"._

_Neji shook his head, disagreeing. "Of course they are", he answered._

"_No, they're not", Shikamaru insisted. "They're arachnids"._

"_Spider are arachnids", the Hyuuga corrected him._

_He heard Shikamaru approaching slowly. "Well, yeah", he admitted. "As well as scorpions"._

_Neji rolled his blind eyes at him. "I think the heat is messing up with your brain", he teased._

"_My brain is fine", the Nara replied. "And you are wrong"._

"_I am not", he said, sure of his own words though he didn't know much about bugs, because he had made a statement and would go all the way with it. "Scorpions are insects"._

"_They're not", Shikamaru repeated. "And there is a very easy way to prove it. Want me to tell you how?"._

_Neji couldn't help to smile softly. The Nara wasn't going to let it go either. He exhaled in amusement. "Please, I can't wait", he answered sarcastically._

"_Insects have six legs", Shikamaru said. "But arachnids have eight. Tell me, Hyuuga, how many legs does that scorpion have?"._

_Neji inspectionated the scorpion he was holding in his hands and counted its legs. It had four on each side of its body, which meant Shikamaru was right. _

"_Well?", the Nara questioned at his back, and Neji could hear he was having a blast._

_He was still a proud person, reason why he hated to admit his mistakes. So instead of doing it, he pursed his lips. "Shut up"._

_Shikamaru laughed. "So I win!", he exclaimed, and Neji could hear him doing something strange with his feet. _

_He turned his head to a side and arched his eyebrows incredulously. "Did you dance?", he asked._

"_No, I didn't", the Nara replied as he walked away a little._

_Neji chuckled, knowing that he had nailed the sound. "Yes you did", he said. "You made a little triumphal dance"._

"_I did not", Shikamaru affirmed, but Neji could hear the truth in his voice. He simply waited for the Nara's confession. "Fine, maybe just a tiny one"._

_This made Neji laugh openly. Just the image of Shikamaru dancing around was too hilarious, and he wished he could have seen it. Despite of that, he answered the exact opposite. "I am so glad of being blind right now"._

_He heard Shikamaru growling not far away. "Shut up", the Nara said, repeating Neji's words._

It was impossible not to smile at the memory, and as he kept remembering, Neji realized how many funny moments like that one they had shared during the last years. Being around Shikamaru in that way, just hanging out with a friend, was something he had never really experienced before. Back in Konoha he used to maintain just the inevitable interactions with people, that including his team. With the Nara he had discovered he liked the company, and preferred it over loneliness. Especially if it was Shikamaru's.

Neji closed his eyes trying to evoke the Nara's face, and he only saw the teenager he remembered from Konoha. But he wanted to be able to see him in those moments they had spent together, goofing around, teasing him, dancing. That was what he really wanted. To give a face to the voice he had been hearing at his side for the last two years.

He opened his eyes again and stared at his foggy reflection. Would Shikamaru be happy when he got back? Would it be weird for him? Maybe he could feel uncomfortable. What would happen when they meet stares for the first time? Neji had a million questions, but just one answer: he needed to see him.

* * *

It was a complicated problem. They had few things besides from food, so they couldn't craft anything to trap the Zetsu. A chain would have been the best, so the creature couldn't chew it and break free, but they didn't have something like that. Standing near the edge of the cliff, Shikamaru looked around, trying to find something that could work. He stared at the survivors, and saw that one of them was eating a big, round fruit. He had eaten those fruits too, because it was one of the things that was cultivated at the cmap. The rind was hard and resistant. Maybe they could try something out with it.

When he proposed to empty a bunch of those fruits his team simply stared at him. It sounded a little stupid, but it had to work. He finally convinced them, and they managed to empty and clean three big ones. Now they had to cut them. Shikamaru was thinking something like protectors, but with the objective of keeping the beast from biting and scratching. One tied to each hand, and another one covering the toothy mouth. It the fruit resisted, the creature wouldn't be able to take the protectors off.

Now it came the hard part: putting them on a wild, dangerous Zetsu. It took, indeed, a lot of time, and good teamwork, but they finally managed to tie two fruits to the beast hands, and a third half one over its mouth. The creature tried and tried to free itself, but didn't made it. They tied a rope around its neck to control it and that was all.

Right at that moment the survivors announced they were ready to start the trip, so they settled for the long return. At first it was hard to drag the Zetsu around, but very quickly they discovered that Choji was actually really good at it. The creature seemed to realize that there was no point in fighting the Akimichi strength, so it started giving up. It still attacked if someone approached, but at a safe distance it was actually manageable.

They walked and walked and walked, stopping only at nights to get some rest. There was a whole month of traveling ahead, and every day, Shikamaru spent it wondering about Neji. Asking himself if the therapy had worked out okay, and if the Hyuuga would be able to see him. This thoughts made him very stressed, so in order to not show it, he decided to talk the less he could.

Every night before falling asleep, he stared at the Zetsu for hours. There was something very disturbing about the creature, but Shikamaru was pretty sure of knowing what it was. The fact that it was chained like a prisoner made him think so much about Neji and his captors that it was almost unbearable to watch. But even though, he kept doing it. One particular rainy night he simply didn't sleep at all. He was too interested in the beast. His friends had suggested to put it under cover, because everybody knew that Zetsus' grew stronger with the rain. But Shikamaru insisted it letting it get wet, just to see how the water affected it from a close distance.

He was expecting the creature to swell up and start trying to remove the protectors again, but instead, it simply sat under the rain with its face towards the sky and didn't move. It was weird that the thing didn't mind about having its mouth covered, but if Shikamaru had been right with his previous deductions and the Zetsus were something like plants, then they didn't need their mouths to feed. But if they got their food from the rain and the sun, through the porous, leafy looking skin, why did they have mouths at all?

Shikamaru stared at the green circle of moss that surrounded the beast. The Zetsu was always leaving that trail, as if it was suppurating it. Over the grass the moss started acting immediately, rooting what was under it. But over the rocks, it simply turned pale and dissolved until it disappear. Which was the use of that green shit? He knew the Zetsus spread it, but for what reason? And why were those creatures so desperate for killing humans all the time, if they didn't feed on them?.

Shikamaru watched the rain shining over the green thing. Maybe the Zetsus haunted humans to feed the moss. And maybe it wasn't moss, but mold. He knew that every single thing the green shit touched started rooting in little time, and rooting was no other thing than decomposition produced by an organism, at it was exactly how mold acted. Perhaps because the mold didn't have mobility, the Zetsus were in charge of spread it and provide food for it. But what would they get in exchange? Why did organisms do things, besides from feeding? Reproduction? Maybe the mold was what produced the Zetsus, though it sounded extremely bizarre. But what is the Zetsus and the mold were a different stage of one same thing? Perhaps through the decomposition of human bodies, the mold could create more Zetsus.

That was horrible. It practically meant that Zetsus were part humans, and that was simply terrifying. Shikamaru shook his head, but he just couldn't stop thinking about it.

* * *

Neji looked at his face in the clear reflection that watched him back from the shield. That was it. After almost three months, the therapy was over. He could see, and just as well as he had in the past. His eyes were a bit more sensitive now, though. Bright lights made them ache, but it was bearable. The Hokage had made him just one warning: to never, ever, use his _Byakugan _again. She said his eyes simply wouldn't resist it, and that the damage after that would be irreversible. That was a very big loss, but at least he was going to be able to fight face to face again. He didn't look disabled anymore.

Neji wondered his eyes around the room and saw the _bō_ resting next to his sleeping bag. Since the moment Shikamaru had left, he had keep it by his side all the time. Somehow, it made him feel stronger as he struggled with his recovery. The Nara's team wasn't back yet, and they still had no news about them. Uncertainty was all he had, because there was no way of knowing if something had happened to them. Neji reached for the _bō_ and slowly slid his fingertips over the dark wood. He had his eyes now, he was ready to see Shikamaru, but there was still no sign of him.

Neji wished so many times to activate his _Byakugan _and search for the Nara, but then all his efforts would have been in vian. He had to settle with trying to feel his chakra, so all days and all nights he closed his eyes inside his tent and intended to perceive Shikamaru's presence. As time went by, he grew more and more worried.

He was seriously considering going out to go find them, because he feared they could have gotten hurt, when one morning, he felt something. His skin bristled and his heart jumped at recognizing the Nara's chakra. He was in the camp, without doubt.

What should he do? Run to meet with him? That was what he wanted, definitely, but maybe it was too direct. Shikamaru would probably look for him, so he could also just wait. He stood still in the middle of his tent, with his back to the entrance. He felt the Nara's chakra moving around the camp, every second a bit closer. His heart started beating fast against his chest and his breathing rate accelerated.

He had been waiting for that moment for the last three months, and yet he wasn't ready for it. Feeling cornered, he thought about leaving the tent and hide for a while until he managed to control his emotions. But that would only delay the encounter, and there was no point in doing such a thing. He wanted to see Shikamaru, more than anything. Running away was not an option.

Fortunately, the Nara seemed to have made the decision for him, because he kept approaching to his tent. His chakra was steady, but at the same time, it felt disturbed. Was Shikamaru nervous about see him too? Maybe he was, but not enough to panic and leave. He probably wanted to check on Neji's state after having been away for so long, because that was what he always did, care about him.

When Shikamaru stopped at the entrance, Neji felt a chill running down his spine. He had a strange sensation of butterflies fluttering inside his stomach, something he had never experienced before. He heard the Nara stepping into the tent, but still, he didn't turn around. His whole body was paralyzed, by fear and expectation. Shikamaru was standing right behind him, but he felt as if there was a deep abyss between them. The Nara didn't talk for a long moment, and Neji couldn't help to wonder why was he thinking. He had to turn around and face him, but his feet wouldn't move.

"Hey…", Shikamaru's voice said at his back. He sounded tired, but his tone was still as soft and kind as Neji remember it. It was ridiculous to stay like that anymore, and after hearing his voice, he felt he couldn't wait any longer. He took a deep breathe, trying to calm down the anticipation that was rising in his chest, and turned around slowly.

There he was. Nara, Shikamaru, with his high ponytail and his lazy posture, just like he remembered him. His body looked a bit tense, though, but Neji couldn't take a second to think about it. He had stopped breathing when he saw the boy's face.

He looked a lot like the kid he recalled from Konoha, but a little older. He was definitely not a child anymore, and had become a handsome, young men. He was really tall now, and his skin was slightly tanned. There were a couple of scars Neji hadn't seen before, one over his cheek, another one near his chin. Had he gotten them while they were together? He wanted to ask, but when Shikamaru's deep black eyes stared directly at him, he felt out of words.

The Nara made a step towards him and frowned softly. He was studying Neji's eyes, probably noticing that they had recovered their usual lavender color. It seemed like we was about to say something, but hesitated. Was he afraid of something? After long seconds, he finally dared to speak. "Can you see me?".

Yes, yes he could, and it was the most wonderful view he could have asked for. He wanted to say this out loud, but his voice refused to come out. Instead of answering, he pursed his lips and nodded.

Shikamaru's expression went black for a moment. Now he knew Neji could see him, and they were finally face to face. What were they supposed to do now? Was he asking himself the same thing? The Hyuuga wanted to say he was happy to see him, but the words died in his throat. When Shikamaru finally smiled, Neji felt his knees getting weaker.

"That is...", the Nara started saying, as he walked slowly to stand in front of him. "So great".

Neji could tell his smile and words were honest, but he still couldn't answer. When Shikamaru stopped just inches away from him, he could made out the details of his face. This was the person who had been by his side in his worst times, the person who had done everything he could to help him overcome his blindness. If it hadn't been for him, Neji wouldn't be alive now. If it hadn't been for Shikamaru, he would be nothing but a memory. He could see him clearly now, but he had waited for so long to put a face on the voice he had been hearing during the last years, that he couldn't believe his eyes.

Shikamaru must have noticed that something was going on, because he inclined his head to a side and watched him with concern. "Neji…?", he asked softly. But the Hyuuga was still afraid that the image in front of him was just a cruel vision.

He needed confirmation, and he couldn't talk yet. So he slowly lifted one hand and approached it to the Nara's face. The boy didn't move. When Neji's fingertips touched his cheek, he felt his eyes aching with repressed tears.

Inch by inch, he slid his fingers through Shikamaru's face, trying to convince himself that all that was real. He was touching the Nara in the same way he had done it before the boy left for his mission, but now he could see him. Emotions swirled inside him, and he couldn't contain himself anymore. Without making a sound, and without really knowing what he was doing, he made a step forward and leaned closer to softly press his lips against Shikamaru's.

Neji closed his eyes and everything around him disappeared. He forgot about the tent, the camp, the survivors. The only thing that existed was Shikamaru. Shikamaru with his silly jokes, his relaxed laugh, and his sweet, affectionate voice. Shikamaru, the person who had saved him.

He lost track of time. Suddenly, the feeling of the Nara's lips against his snapped him out of that state. He opened his eyes, to find Shikamaru staring directly at him, completely astonished. His shocked expression made Neji realize about what he was doing, and he immediately moved his head back to break the kiss. He lowered his eyes, knowing that the Nara was watching him with his mouth wide open. Neji clenched his fists, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He knew he was blushing intensely.

"I'm… Sorry...", he stuttered, wanting to kick himself and run away from the tent.

Shikamaru didn't answer. He neither moved, or made a single sound. Neji couldn't gather the strength to look at him, because he was just too embarrassed. This was the first time they saw each other after years of darkness, and he did this? He hadn't even said hello, but he had to go and kiss the Nara. What would Shikamaru think of him?.

He didn't dare to look up and find out, so he waited. Why didn't he say something? Was he angry? Offended? Neji realized he was starting to shiver, when Shikamaru reached out a hand to softly grab his wrist.

He flinched with the touch of the Nara's fingers on his skin. Neji looked down to see how Shikamaru's hand slid down his wrist, caressing him all the way down. The younger boy grasped his hand, while he lifted the other one to gently touch Neji's chin. With amazing kindness, he moved his head up, making their stares meet.

What he saw in those deep, black eyes made him freeze. It was like staring into a mirror, and the reflection was even clearer than the one on his shield. He saw tears struggling to get out, realizing they felt exactly the same. Shikamaru's hands traveled through his jaw to his nape and dipped into his thick mane. The Nara brought him closer as he leaned down, and in a fast move he joined their lips again.

Neji stared at him stunned for a second, but Shikamaru took a big breath and pressed their mouths together, deepening the kiss. The Hyuuga felt him making his way through his lips, until their tongues tangled. Shikamaru's taste was nothing he could have imagined, because what made it so delicious was the wild desire the Nara was putting into the kiss. It felt like he was finally letting out something he had been trying to block for a very long time, and was now crashing to the ground while he collapsed against Neji.

Shikamaru moved forward, taking both hands to his head and fisting his hair between his fingers. Neji had to take a step back, because the Nara was coming to him too strong, but he took his hands to the boy's forearms and nailed his fingers on them, keeping him close. They both closed their eyes, and got lost in eachother.

Neji though his heart could explode. Was that the happiest he had felt in his entire life? Yes, it definitely was. All his worries from the last months simply vanished in the air, while the taste of Shikamaru's tongue took him to a quiet, beautiful place where pain didn't exist. He wanted to stay in that place forever, but suddenly loud screams coming from outside broke the peace.

Just like that, their bubble burst. Ino's voice was too close, and they both moved backwards at the same time to put some distance between their bodies. In that instant the Yamanaka's head picked through the entrance. Shikamaru turned to look at her.

"Here you are!", she yelled at the Nara. "Come fast! The Godaime wants to talk with you. And she was very serious. Hurry up!".

She really sounded hurried, because she didn't even realized Neji wasn't blind anymore. Just as she had came, she disappeared from the tent in a blink.

Shikamaru turned again to Neji. They stared at each other for a long moment, not knowing what to say. They simply stood there until it started feeling stupid, so they both smiled. The Nara looked as relieved as Neji felt. After a few seconds, they were laughing softly of themselves.

Shikamaru made a step back, still smiling wide. "I… have to go", he said, scratching the back of his neck as he moved to the entrance. He stopped just before leaving, and looked at Neji with the sweetest eyes he had ever seen. "But I'll see you later".

The Hyuuga knew he was smiling openly as well, and didn't care about it. Instead of answering, he just nodded firmly. Shikamaru nodded too, and watched him for a few more seconds. Then he smiled one last time and turned to leave.

* * *

**New chapter! Yay!**

**I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! It's like the chapter I've been wanting to write since I started this story. Can't wait to see if you guys liked it!**

**Also, a heads up: this story is near its end as well. We have just a few chapters left, but luckily there will be many other stories coming soon!**

**Thank you as always for your unconditional support :´)**

**Lastly, a tiny question: which is the plural for Zetsu? Is it Zetsus or Zetsus'? How should I write it? I can't pin this down, sorry. **


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